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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cap — a lid
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. game — a match
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. firm — steady
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bass — low music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. tube — a container
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cap — of ice
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. cap — a hat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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