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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bass — low music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bass — the fish
  14. squash — to crush
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. key — the most important part
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. squash — the sport

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