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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. firm — steady
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rush — hurry
  6. foot — a measure
  7. firm — a company
  8. pop — soda
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bass — the fish
  13. firm — decided
  14. bass — low music
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rock — a stone
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pop — music
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wave — of the sea

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