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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. net — in sport
  7. pop — music
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mate — to breed
  13. net — after costs
  14. track — a path
  15. pop — soda
  16. mate — a partner
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pop — to visit
  19. net — for catching
  20. mate — a friend
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. toast — bread
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wind — moving air

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