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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bass — the fish
  5. club — a group
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. stem — to come from
  8. club — for dancing
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. bass — low music
  14. degree — an amount
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. degree — temperature
  17. can — a tin
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. snap — to click
  21. can — a tin
  22. degree — from a university
  23. club — for golf
  24. rule — a law

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