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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 120 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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. march — the month
  6. bass — the fish
  7. track — a song
  8. bass — low music
  9. fine — all right
  10. march — the month
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. march — music
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — high quality
  23. track — a path
  24. mouse — for a computer

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