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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: bass · fine · stick · wind · toast · jam · file · cue

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. cue — a signal
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. toast — bread
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. file — a document
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fine — all right
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bass — low music
  20. cue — for pool
  21. file — a tool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wind — moving air

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