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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. net — after costs
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. present — there
  5. cue — for pool
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cue — a hint
  8. net — for catching
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. net — in sport
  11. land — to come down
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cue — a signal
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bass — low music
  16. present — a gift
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. present — the time now
  19. bass — the fish
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. land — a country
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. land — ground

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