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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. last — final
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pop — soda
  9. root — the cause
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bass — low music
  15. root — of a word
  16. pop — music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. root — of a plant
  20. ball — a great time
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pop — to visit
  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