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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wound — an injury
  9. date — the fruit
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rule — a law
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bass — low music
  17. rule — government
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pitch — a sports field

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