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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. swing — to play on
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bass — the fish
  5. file — a tool
  6. bass — low music
  7. cue — a signal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. swing — in golf
  15. file — a line of people
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. cue — a hint
  21. file — a document
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cue — for pool
  24. net — for catching

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