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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. swing — to play on
  7. key — in music
  8. foot — a measure
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bass — the fish
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. swing — in golf
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. ground — a position
  22. key — the most important part
  23. swing — music
  24. bass — low music

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