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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. toast — bread
  10. degree — from a university
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. degree — temperature
  18. game — a match
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. firm — a company
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bass — low music
  24. degree — an amount

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