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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 124 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bass — low music
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. hand — help
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — a tin
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. can — to be able to
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. can — a tin
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bass — the fish
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. prune — the fruit

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