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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · wake · bass · club · cell · present

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. present — there
  3. bass — low music
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cell — in biology
  6. present — a gift
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — a phone
  9. club — for dancing
  10. present — the time now
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bass — the fish
  14. club — for golf
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. club — a group
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bay — a horse colour

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