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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.

Make a worksheet

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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. date — the fruit
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. key — in music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. game — a match
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rest — a break
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bass — the fish
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bass — low music
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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