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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mug — to rob
  5. rock — music
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rock — a stone
  8. root — the cause
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. root — of a plant
  13. ball — a dance
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. root — of a word
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. kick — in football
  20. mug — a cup
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. swing — music
  24. ball — a great time

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