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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bass — the fish
  5. tube — the underground
  6. kick — in football
  7. key — in music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. key — for a lock
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. season — in sport
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. capital — money
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bass — low music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. capital — a city
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. season — of the year
  24. tube — a container

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