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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cap — a lid
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. fine — all right
  11. land — ground
  12. last — to go on
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cap — a hat
  17. land — a country
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. land — to come down
  21. fine — high quality
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cap — of ice
  24. fine — a penalty

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