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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. last — finally
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. fine — all right
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mate — to breed
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cue — for pool
  12. last — to go on
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mug — a face
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mug — to rob
  17. last — final
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fine — a penalty

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