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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bass — the fish
  6. file — a line of people
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pop — soda
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. key — in music
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. key — the most important part
  16. file — a tool
  17. bass — low music
  18. file — a document

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