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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. present — the time now
  3. mug — a face
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rash — hasty
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cue — a hint
  8. present — there
  9. mate — a partner
  10. present — a gift
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rash — a series
  14. bass — low music
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cue — a signal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. cue — for pool
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mate — a friend

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