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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rash — a series
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bass — low music
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. object — to protest
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. row — to paddle
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stand — to bear
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bass — the fish
  22. object — an aim
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. object — a thing

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