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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. file — a tool
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. charge — a price
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. charge — in control
  10. file — a document
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. bass — low music
  16. craft — a skill
  17. charge — electricity
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. craft — boats
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. file — a line of people

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