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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rush — hurry
  5. content — happy
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pop — music
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. spell — letters
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pop — to visit
  13. spell — a short time
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. net — after costs
  17. spell — magic
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bass — low music
  20. net — for catching
  21. content — the amount
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. net — in sport
  24. pop — soda

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