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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bass — low music
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. club — for golf
  10. cell — in biology
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. club — a group
  14. bass — the fish
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. bound — certain
  24. rush — hurry

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