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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. last — final
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. last — finally
  9. field — a subject
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. field — farmland
  13. bass — the fish
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. last — to go on
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. field — for sport
  21. pass — a permit
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. craft — boats

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