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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rock — a stone
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. key — for a lock
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. craft — boats
  10. key — the most important part
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. key — in music
  15. rock — music
  16. tube — a container
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bass — low music
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rock — to move gently

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