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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. track — a path
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. track — a song
  6. wind — moving air
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bass — the fish
  9. firm — a company
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. net — after costs
  13. firm — steady
  14. wind — moving air
  15. saw — the tool
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. firm — decided
  19. game — a match
  20. bass — low music
  21. net — for catching
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. net — in sport
  24. saw — the tool

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