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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bass — low music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rash — hasty
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rash — a series
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bass — the fish
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rash — on the skin

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