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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. kick — in football
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pound — a weight
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. bass — low music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pop — soda
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pound — for dogs

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