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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bass — the fish
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bass — low music
  5. root — of a plant
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. suit — to fit
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. root — of a word
  10. row — a line
  11. ball — a great time
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. root — the cause
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. fine — all right
  21. row — to paddle
  22. ball — a dance
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. suit — clothes

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