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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 116 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. face — to confront
  20. bass — low music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mark — a grade
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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