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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. key — for a lock
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rock — music
  9. bass — low music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rock — a stone
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. scale — in music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rush — hurry
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bat — the animal
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bass — the fish
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. key — in music

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