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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. last — finally
  4. spring — a coil
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. last — to go on
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. spring — the season
  10. deal — to handle
  11. spring — of water
  12. last — final
  13. can — a tin
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wake — a trail
  23. can — a tin
  24. bass — low music

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