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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 120 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. fall — to drop
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bass — the fish
  6. track — a path
  7. board — a committee
  8. present — the time now
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. fall — to drop
  11. dip — to sink
  12. field — a subject
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. fall — the season
  15. field — for sport
  16. present — there
  17. track — a song
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. present — a gift
  21. board — to get on
  22. track — to keep track
  23. field — farmland
  24. bass — the instrument

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