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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bass — low music
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. squash — to crush
  12. staff — employees
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cap — a lid
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cap — of ice
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cap — a hat
  22. staff — employees
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mouse — for a computer

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