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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. key — the most important part
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. lean — to bend
  8. shower — to wash
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pit — a hole
  11. plane — a tool
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. board — to get on
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. board — a committee
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. key — for a lock
  20. shower — rain
  21. bass — low music
  22. key — in music
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. lean — thin

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