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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mine — for digging
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. ground — a position
  10. cue — a hint
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. tube — a container
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cue — a signal
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. cue — for pool

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