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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bass — low music
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pitch — completely
  11. charge — a price
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. charge — in control
  19. fine — all right
  20. season — in sport
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. season — of the year
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. dip — a sauce

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