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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. degree — from a university
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rock — music
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bass — low music
  13. fork — in a road
  14. degree — temperature
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bass — the fish

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