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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. net — after costs
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. net — in sport
  8. mug — a face
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bass — low music
  11. tube — a container
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mug — to rob
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mug — a cup
  18. net — for catching
  19. row — to paddle
  20. sharp — clever
  21. toast — bread
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. tube — the underground
  24. row — a line

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