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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pit — in a race
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pop — soda
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. spell — letters
  17. pop — music
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. club — for dancing
  20. spell — a short time
  21. scale — in music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for golf

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