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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. net — for catching
  3. stand — to bear
  4. key — in music
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. net — after costs
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mate — to breed
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mate — a friend
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. net — in sport
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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