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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pop — soda
  5. bass — the fish
  6. field — for sport
  7. staff — employees
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pop — to visit
  10. staff — employees
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. field — a subject
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pop — music
  17. rule — government
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bass — low music
  22. field — farmland
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rule — a law

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