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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fork — in a road
  3. deal — to handle
  4. track — to keep track
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bass — low music
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. track — a song
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bass — the fish
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wind — moving air
  19. track — a path
  20. net — for catching
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. net — in sport
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. net — after costs

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