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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bass — low music
  4. firm — a company
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. file — a document
  10. clip — a video
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. file — a line of people
  14. firm — decided
  15. dip — to sink
  16. toast — bread
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. firm — steady
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. board — a committee
  22. clip — to cut
  23. file — a tool
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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