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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. board — to get on
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. court — of law
  6. fine — high quality
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. march — the month
  9. bass — the fish
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fine — all right
  17. bass — low music
  18. court — for sport
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. board — a committee
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. court — of a king

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