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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bass — low music
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. current — electric
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. current — happening now
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bass — the fish
  17. current — of water
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mark — a grade

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