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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. march — music
  6. bass — low music
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ball — a dance
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. march — the month
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. march — the month

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