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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pop — music
  4. bass — low music
  5. club — a group
  6. pop — soda
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. present — a gift
  9. track — a song
  10. cell — in biology
  11. wake — a trail
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. track — a path
  15. club — for dancing
  16. present — there
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pop — to visit
  20. present — the time now
  21. club — for golf
  22. cell — a phone
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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