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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bass — low music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. net — for catching
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. ground — a position
  13. wax — to grow
  14. present — a gift
  15. net — after costs
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. net — in sport
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mug — a face
  24. present — the time now

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