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

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bass — the fish
  8. branch — a division
  9. bass — low music
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pitch — completely
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fork — in a road
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pitch — a sales talk

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