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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pit — a hole
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. hand — help
  10. pound — a weight
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pop — music
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. hand — in cards
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. snap — to click
  24. craft — boats

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