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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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 fish
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bass — low music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cue — for pool
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mark — a trace
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. tear — to rip
  21. pound — a weight
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pass — to succeed
  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