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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bass — the fish
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pit — a hole
  7. suit — clothes
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. pit — in a race
  11. key — in music
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bass — low music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. land — to come down
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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