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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 124 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pop — music
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pop — to visit
  7. can — a tin
  8. bass — low music
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pop — soda
  17. pitch — completely
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. craft — a skill
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bear — the animal

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