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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. march — music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. track — a song
  9. stem — to come from
  10. march — the month
  11. charge — in control
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. ball — a great time
  14. charge — a price
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. march — the month
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bass — the fish
  22. track — a path
  23. charge — electricity
  24. ball — a dance

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