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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pop — to visit
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rock — music
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pop — soda
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pop — music
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rock — a stone
  24. game — wild animals

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