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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 116 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. race — a contest
  4. net — for catching
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. race — the arms race
  7. track — a song
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. face — part of the head
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bass — low music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. face — to point toward
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mug — a cup
  17. net — after costs
  18. track — a path
  19. mug — to rob
  20. face — to confront
  21. bass — the fish
  22. race — humankind
  23. mug — a face
  24. straw — dry grass

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