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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. file — a document
  3. board — to get on
  4. file — a tool
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. root — of a plant
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. file — a line of people
  18. net — for catching
  19. root — of a word
  20. sharp — clever
  21. root — the cause
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mouse — the animal

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