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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. last — final
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. last — finally
  10. bass — low music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. last — to go on
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pop — music
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. net — after costs
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pop — soda
  22. net — in sport
  23. bass — the fish
  24. fan — a supporter

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