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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bass — low music
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. charge — electricity
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mug — to rob
  9. net — in sport
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. charge — a price
  12. net — for catching
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bass — the fish
  15. charge — in control
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. net — after costs
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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