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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 116 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. saw — the tool
  3. object — an aim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. charge — electricity
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. object — to protest
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. object — a thing
  11. charge — a price
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. saw — the tool
  14. row — to paddle
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. prune — to trim
  17. charge — in control
  18. row — a line
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bass — low music
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. row — a quarrel

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