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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. dip — to sink
  7. track — a song
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. track — to keep track
  11. squash — the sport
  12. spell — magic
  13. squash — to crush
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. track — a path
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. kid — child
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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