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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 116 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. object — a thing
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. scale — in music
  11. mark — a grade
  12. object — an aim
  13. mark — a trace
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. staff — employees
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. staff — employees
  20. object — to protest
  21. rash — a series
  22. mug — a face
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — to hit hard

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