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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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 fish
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. field — for sport
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fine — all right
  15. chest — of your body
  16. field — farmland
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mine — for digging
  21. field — a subject
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fan — a supporter
  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