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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. lean — thin
  4. land — to come down
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. net — after costs
  10. land — a country
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cap — of ice
  13. net — in sport
  14. bass — low music
  15. lean — to bend
  16. ball — a dance
  17. net — for catching
  18. cap — a lid
  19. land — ground
  20. deal — to handle
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bear — the animal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cap — a hat

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