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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: toast · fan · deal · bass · bat · rest · current · mate

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bass — low music
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. deal — to handle
  6. current — happening now
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. current — electric
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. toast — bread
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bass — the fish
  17. current — of water
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bat — the animal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rest — a break
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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