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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. snap — to click
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. firm — decided
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. can — a tin
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. firm — steady
  15. degree — from a university
  16. can — a tin
  17. net — in sport
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. can — to be able to
  20. degree — an amount
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. firm — a company
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. degree — temperature

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