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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bass — low music
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bass — the fish
  17. row — a line
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mark — a grade

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