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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. net — for catching
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bass — the fish
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. net — after costs
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. bass — low music
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. field — for sport
  19. net — in sport
  20. track — to keep track
  21. field — farmland
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. field — a subject

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