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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bass — low music
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. land — to come down
  6. mate — a partner
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rash — a series
  13. land — a country
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. land — ground
  18. mate — a friend
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. pitch — completely
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rash — on the skin

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