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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. row — a line
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. track — a path
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bass — low music
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. net — for catching
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. game — wild animals
  17. track — to keep track
  18. charge — in control
  19. row — to paddle
  20. game — a match
  21. charge — a price
  22. squash — to crush
  23. track — a song
  24. charge — electricity

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