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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. tube — a container
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. track — to keep track
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. track — a song
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bass — low music
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. fine — all right
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. track — a path
  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