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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bass — low music
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. ground — a position
  9. pound — a weight
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rush — hurry
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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