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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mate — a partner
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bass — the fish
  5. tube — a container
  6. bass — low music
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mate — to breed
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mate — a friend
  15. scale — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. key — in music
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stem — to come from
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stem — of a plant

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