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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. game — a match
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. tear — from crying
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bass — low music
  7. tear — to rip
  8. land — to come down
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — a group
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tear — from crying
  16. land — a country
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. branch — a division
  21. club — for golf
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. land — ground
  24. bear — the animal

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