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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. lean — thin
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rest — a break
  9. fork — in a road
  10. capital — money
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bass — low music
  13. capital — a city
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. club — a group
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. club — for golf
  23. rest — what's left
  24. capital — a big letter

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