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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bat — the animal
  6. firm — steady
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bass — the fish
  11. firm — decided
  12. bass — low music
  13. firm — a company
  14. fork — in a road
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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