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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. ball — a dance
  4. staff — a stick
  5. rock — a stone
  6. staff — employees
  7. fine — all right
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fine — high quality
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. staff — employees
  16. rock — music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wound — an injury
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. ball — a round shape

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