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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. row — to paddle
  5. cue — for pool
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. hand — help
  9. ball — a great time
  10. firm — decided
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. hand — in cards
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. firm — a company
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bass — low music
  22. rash — a series
  23. firm — steady
  24. row — a line

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