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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 116 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. game — wild animals
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. board — a committee
  10. track — a song
  11. board — to get on
  12. rest — what's left
  13. track — a path
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rest — a break
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. game — a match
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rest — what's left
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bass — the fish

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