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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. court — for sport
  6. hand — help
  7. game — a match
  8. bank — for money
  9. court — of law
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bass — low music
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. plane — a tool
  15. court — of a king
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. game — wild animals
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bass — the fish
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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