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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pop — music
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bass — the fish
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mine — for digging
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bass — low music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pop — soda
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. prune — the fruit

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