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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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. sharp — clever
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pop — soda
  10. season — in sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. firm — decided
  14. season — of the year
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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