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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. drill — army training
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. can — a tin
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. snap — to click
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. drill — a practice
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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