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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mate — a partner
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. land — a country
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bass — low music
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mate — to breed
  17. game — a match
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bass — the fish
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rush — to hurry

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