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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. hand — help
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mug — a cup
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bass — low music
  15. club — a group
  16. tube — the underground
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mug — to rob
  19. hand — in cards
  20. club — for golf
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mug — a face
  24. club — for dancing

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