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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — bread
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. present — a gift
  9. bank — for money
  10. file — a tool
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bank — of a river
  15. present — there
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. file — a line of people
  18. scale — in music
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. firm — decided
  21. file — a document
  22. bank — for money
  23. present — the time now
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com