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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fall — to drop
  3. present — there
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. present — the time now
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fall — the season
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fall — to drop
  16. present — a gift
  17. pit — a hole
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pit — in a race
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bass — the fish

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