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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cold — not warm
  3. pop — to visit
  4. key — in music
  5. pop — soda
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bass — low music
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. object — an aim
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fine — all right
  14. cold — an illness
  15. key — for a lock
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pop — music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. object — a thing
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. object — to protest

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