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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. charge — in control
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. charge — electricity
  6. net — for catching
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. chest — of your body
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bass — low music
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. charge — a price
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pound — a weight
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bass — the fish
  21. chest — a box
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. swing — 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