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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. net — for catching
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pop — music
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bass — the fish
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. net — in sport
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pop — to visit
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pop — soda
  20. net — after costs
  21. bass — low music
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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