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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fall — to drop
  3. root — of a word
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. present — there
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rest — a break
  11. mark — a grade
  12. root — the cause
  13. bass — low music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. present — the time now
  17. fall — to drop
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. ball — a dance
  20. present — a gift
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fall — the season
  24. ball — a great time

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