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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. net — in sport
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. race — humankind
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a list
  11. toast — bread
  12. charge — electricity
  13. net — for catching
  14. bass — the fish
  15. charge — in control
  16. race — a contest
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. net — after costs
  19. charge — a price
  20. roll — a cake
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. race — the arms race
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mine — for digging

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