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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bass — the fish
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bass — low music
  6. rush — hurry
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. charge — in control
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. tube — a container
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. net — in sport
  14. charge — a price
  15. pop — to visit
  16. net — for catching
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. net — after costs
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. charge — electricity
  24. tube — the underground

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