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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. firm — a company
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. track — a path
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bank — of a river
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. shower — rain
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. net — after costs
  15. suit — clothes
  16. net — in sport
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. suit — in cards
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. track — a song

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