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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bass — low music
  4. ground — crushed
  5. key — in music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. firm — a company
  8. ball — a dance
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. ground — a position
  13. firm — steady
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. firm — decided
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. pitch — completely
  20. key — the most important part
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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