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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. cue — a signal
  7. file — a tool
  8. mug — a face
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. file — a line of people
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. key — in music
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. file — a document
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bass — low music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mug — a cup
  24. key — for a lock

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