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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. march — the month
  3. key — in music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. key — for a lock
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. foot — a measure
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. current — electric
  20. lie — to recline
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bass — the fish
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fan — a supporter

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