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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. degree — from a university
  8. charge — a price
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. degree — temperature
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bass — low music
  16. charge — in control
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fall — the season
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fall — to drop
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. degree — an amount
  24. charge — electricity

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