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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. capital — a city
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bass — the fish
  9. capital — money
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bass — low music
  16. board — a committee
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. board — to get on
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rash — a series

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