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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 120 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. field — for sport
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fine — all right
  7. staff — employees
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bass — low music
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. band — a ring
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. band — a music group
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bass — the fish
  21. staff — employees
  22. fine — high quality
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. band — a rubber band

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