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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. craft — boats
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. snap — to click
  14. bass — low music
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mine — for digging
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wake — a trail

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