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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. track — a path
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bass — the fish
  8. mate — to breed
  9. track — a song
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bass — low music
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pop — music

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