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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bass — low music
  5. face — to confront
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. club — for golf
  8. face — to point toward
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bass — the fish
  12. suit — to fit
  13. cue — a hint
  14. club — for dancing
  15. face — part of the head
  16. ball — a great time
  17. suit — clothes
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. ball — a dance
  23. suit — in cards
  24. tear — from crying

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