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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bass — low music
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. present — the time now
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. present — there
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. deal — to handle
  20. present — a gift
  21. branch — a division
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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