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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bass — low music
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. kick — in football
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. key — in music
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bank — for money
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. key — for a lock
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. key — the most important part
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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