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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. club — a group
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pop — music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. craft — boats
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pop — soda
  13. club — for golf
  14. bass — low music
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bass — the fish
  19. club — for dancing
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. pop — to visit

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