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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. last — finally
  4. bass — low music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. board — a committee
  7. tube — the underground
  8. last — to go on
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pop — to visit
  14. last — final
  15. pop — soda
  16. board — to get on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tube — a container
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. face — part of the head
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pop — music
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. tube — in a tire

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