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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mug — a face
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mug — a cup
  11. cap — of ice
  12. spell — magic
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. board — a committee
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rest — a break
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cap — a lid
  22. spell — a short time
  23. board — to get on
  24. spell — letters

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