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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. spell — letters
  4. rush — hurry
  5. net — after costs
  6. club — for dancing
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. club — a group
  10. spell — a short time
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. net — for catching
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. staff — employees
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. club — for golf
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bass — low music
  20. staff — a stick
  21. net — in sport
  22. spell — magic
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. staff — employees

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