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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. cue — a hint
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. net — in sport
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cue — a signal
  14. net — after costs
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bass — the fish
  18. cue — for pool
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — not warm
  22. net — for catching
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bass — low music

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