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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. net — for catching
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bass — the fish
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ball — a great time
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chair — a leader
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. racket — for tennis

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