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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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fall — the season
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fine — all right
  9. prune — to trim
  10. net — in sport
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. net — after costs
  14. suit — to fit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bass — low music
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. net — for catching
  24. fine — high quality

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