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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. tube — a container
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. fine — all right
  8. pop — soda
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. drill — army training
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pop — music
  18. date — the fruit
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fine — high quality
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bass — low music
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. drill — a practice

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