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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. file — a document
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. prune — to trim
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — the tool
  12. charge — electricity
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. saw — the tool
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bass — low music
  19. charge — in control
  20. deal — to handle
  21. toast — bread
  22. charge — a price
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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