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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 116 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. court — of law
  5. net — for catching
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. spell — magic
  11. charge — in control
  12. court — for sport
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spell — letters
  17. court — of a king
  18. charge — a price
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bass — low music
  21. net — after costs
  22. charge — electricity
  23. track — a song
  24. net — in sport

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