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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 120 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. drill — the tool
  9. net — in sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. foot — a measure
  12. net — after costs
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. court — of law
  17. pop — music
  18. court — of a king
  19. drill — army training
  20. pop — soda
  21. drill — a practice
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. net — for catching
  24. court — for sport

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