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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 116 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. net — after costs
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. net — for catching
  6. lie — to recline
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. dip — to sink
  10. object — a thing
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. charge — in control
  13. sharp — clever
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. bass — low music
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bass — the fish
  20. net — in sport
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. charge — a price
  24. pitcher — a jug

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