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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. kid — child
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rock — a stone
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. bass — the fish
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fine — all right
  16. bass — low music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fine — high quality
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bass — the instrument

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