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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mine — for digging
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. hand — help
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. march — the month
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. track — a song
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. track — a path
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. cue — a signal

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