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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. last — finally
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rest — what's left
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — boats
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rest — a break
  11. last — to go on
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stem — to come from
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. key — in music
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rock — music
  23. last — final
  24. rock — a stone

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