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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pop — music
  4. present — there
  5. bass — low music
  6. present — a gift
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. foot — a measure
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rush — hurry
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pop — to visit
  22. can — a tin
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. present — the time now

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