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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 116 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. spring — the season
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wake — a trail
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bass — low music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pass — a permit
  22. spring — of water
  23. pound — a weight
  24. racket — for tennis

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