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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 116 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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bass — the fish
  5. march — the month
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. shower — to wash
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bass — low music
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. march — the month
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fine — all right
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. shower — rain
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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