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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wake — a trail
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bass — the fish
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. club — for dancing
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. club — for golf
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bass — low music
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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