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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. shower — to wash
  6. suit — to fit
  7. club — a group
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. march — the month
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. suit — in cards
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. deal — to handle
  15. march — music
  16. bass — low music
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bass — the fish
  19. club — for golf
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. march — the month
  23. shower — rain
  24. club — for dancing

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