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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. row — to paddle
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. row — a line
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bass — low music
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bass — the fish
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pop — to visit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pop — music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pop — soda
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. date — the fruit

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