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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. fine — all right
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. firm — steady
  6. bass — low music
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. snap — to click
  9. rest — what's left
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rest — what's left
  14. degree — temperature
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. degree — from a university
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. firm — decided
  20. degree — an amount
  21. fine — high quality
  22. firm — a company
  23. rest — a break
  24. saw — the tool

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