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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: chest · date · deal · pop · club · object · snap · bass

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. object — an aim
  3. pop — soda
  4. club — for dancing
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. club — for golf
  7. pop — to visit
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. chest — a box
  10. object — a thing
  11. pop — music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. chest — of your body
  15. deal — to handle
  16. snap — to click
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. club — a group
  19. bass — low music
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bass — the fish
  22. object — to protest
  23. chest — of your body
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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