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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fine — all right
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. roll — a list
  6. bass — low music
  7. land — a country
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pit — in a race
  13. land — to come down
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fine — high quality
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. land — ground
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. ball — a round shape

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