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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. firm — a company
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bass — the fish
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. toast — bread
  9. face — part of the head
  10. season — of the year
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rash — a series
  14. firm — steady
  15. season — in sport
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. face — to confront
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rash — hasty
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. firm — decided
  23. face — to point toward
  24. kid — child

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