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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. land — to come down
  3. can — a tin
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cue — for pool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. can — a tin
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. land — ground
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. land — a country
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bass — low music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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