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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. row — a line
  5. hand — help
  6. current — of water
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mug — a face
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. current — happening now
  22. mark — a grade
  23. hand — in cards
  24. current — electric

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