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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cell — in biology
  9. club — for golf
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. club — for dancing
  14. date — the fruit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bass — low music
  17. cell — a phone
  18. club — a group
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. snap — to click
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bass — the fish

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