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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. hand — help
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bass — the fish
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bass — low music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rock — music
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pitch — completely

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