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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pop — music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — to come from
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pop — soda
  11. track — a path
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. track — a song
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pit — in a race
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rock — music
  24. pop — to visit

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