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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bass — low music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rock — music
  12. lean — thin
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. mate — to breed
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. degree — from a university
  24. mate — a friend

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