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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. scale — size or range
  9. board — to get on
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. board — a committee
  15. bass — low music
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. scale — in music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. court — for 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