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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. ball — a great time
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bass — the fish
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. season — in sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. game — wild animals
  11. roll — a list
  12. scale — in music
  13. fall — the season
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. game — a match
  20. scale — size or range
  21. roll — a cake
  22. fall — to drop
  23. season — of the year
  24. bass — low music

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