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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. foot — a measure
  6. root — of a word
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wake — a trail
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bass — low music
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. root — the cause
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. last — finally
  18. root — of a plant
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. last — to go on
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. last — final

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