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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bass — low music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. suit — to fit
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. kick — in football
  13. pop — to visit
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wind — moving air
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — 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