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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. net — for catching
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mark — a grade
  6. shower — rain
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. game — wild animals
  12. staff — a stick
  13. game — a match
  14. net — after costs
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bass — low music
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. staff — employees
  19. craft — boats
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mug — to rob
  22. staff — employees
  23. net — in sport
  24. mark — a trace

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