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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. plane — a tool
  11. scale — in music
  12. pitch — completely
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rule — a law
  21. bass — the fish
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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