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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pit — in a race
  4. land — to come down
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. game — wild animals
  9. ball — a great time
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. game — a match
  12. track — a path
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. land — ground
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ball — a dance
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. land — a country
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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