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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. last — final
  4. tube — the underground
  5. suit — to fit
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bass — low music
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. suit — in cards
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. game — a match
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. tube — a container
  20. sharp — clever
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bass — the fish
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. racket — a loud noise

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