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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to click
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. march — the month
  9. branch — a division
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stem — to come from
  12. march — music
  13. rule — a law
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rule — government
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. march — the month
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bass — low music

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