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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. can — a tin
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bass — the fish
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bat — the animal
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. can — a tin
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wound — an injury
  19. charge — a price
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. can — to be able to
  22. charge — in control
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. charge — electricity

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