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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hand — help
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kid — to tease
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. shower — to wash
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fine — high quality
  12. shower — rain
  13. kid — child
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bass — low music
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. hand — in cards
  20. club — for golf
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bass — the fish
  24. fine — all right

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