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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. track — a song
  3. hand — help
  4. track — to keep track
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bass — low music
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. track — a path
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bass — the fish
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. row — a line
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pit — a hole

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