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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pop — music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. face — part of the head
  9. march — the month
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pop — soda
  16. pass — a permit
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bass — the fish
  20. march — music
  21. face — to confront
  22. pop — to visit
  23. march — the month
  24. bass — low music

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