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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bass — the fish
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pop — music
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bass — low music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitch — completely
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. pop — soda
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pop — to visit
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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