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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bass — low music
  4. present — the time now
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. ground — a position
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. net — for catching
  9. present — a gift
  10. bass — the fish
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. net — after costs
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pass — a permit
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. snap — to click
  21. ground — the earth
  22. present — there
  23. net — in sport
  24. wind — moving air

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