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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. march — the month
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — to confront
  5. court — of law
  6. face — part of the head
  7. object — a thing
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. ball — a dance
  10. court — for sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. court — of a king
  13. ball — a great time
  14. object — an aim
  15. face — to point toward
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. march — music
  18. can — to be able to
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. object — to protest
  24. march — the month

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