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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pop — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pop — to visit
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rule — a law
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rule — government
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pop — soda
  23. bass — low music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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