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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. cell — a phone
  3. net — for catching
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bass — the fish
  7. band — a ring
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. cell — in biology
  11. row — to paddle
  12. net — after costs
  13. bore — to tire
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. row — a line
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. net — in sport
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. band — a music group

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