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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pound — a weight
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bass — low music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. net — for catching
  12. lean — thin
  13. mark — a trace
  14. net — in sport
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. capital — a city
  17. season — in sport
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. capital — money
  22. net — after costs
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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