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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bass — the fish
  4. spell — magic
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. spell — letters
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bass — low music
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bat — the animal
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bat — in an idiom

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