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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pop — to visit
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. capital — money
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. snap — to click
  12. charge — electricity
  13. file — a document
  14. charge — a price
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pop — soda
  17. capital — a city
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. file — a tool
  20. charge — in control
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bass — low music
  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