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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 124 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wake — a trail
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pop — music
  7. toast — bread
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. file — a document
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bass — low music
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. file — a tool
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pop — soda

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