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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. net — for catching
  5. field — for sport
  6. charge — a price
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. track — to keep track
  9. net — in sport
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pass — a permit
  12. track — a song
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spring — the season
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. spring — of water
  18. field — farmland
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. charge — in control
  21. track — a path
  22. field — a subject
  23. charge — electricity
  24. net — after costs

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