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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 120 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. net — for catching
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. branch — a division
  6. bass — the fish
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. net — in sport
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. game — a match
  17. deal — to handle
  18. game — wild animals
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. net — after costs
  23. field — farmland
  24. bass — low music

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