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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. chip — to eat
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fork — in a road
  13. chip — for betting
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rock — music
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. hand — help
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bass — the fish

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