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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. snap — to click
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. club — for golf
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bass — low music
  14. present — there
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. game — wild animals
  17. club — a group
  18. game — a match
  19. row — to paddle
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rock — a stone
  22. club — for dancing
  23. row — a line
  24. temple — side of the head

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