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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 120 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. tear — from crying
  6. present — the time now
  7. cue — a hint
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. tear — to rip
  12. track — a song
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. craft — a skill
  16. track — a path
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. present — a gift
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. tear — from crying
  22. present — there
  23. craft — boats
  24. bass — the instrument

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