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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. charge — in control
  8. track — to keep track
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mine — for digging
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. pitch — completely
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. track — a song
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. track — a path

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