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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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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: fine · can · bass · track · mine · bat · bear · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. can — a tin
  3. track — a path
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. kick — in football
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fine — high quality
  19. can — a tin
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. track — a song
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fine — all right

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