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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 116 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bass — low music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. present — there
  9. rash — a series
  10. board — to get on
  11. present — a gift
  12. board — a committee
  13. drill — army training
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. drill — a practice
  17. wax — to grow
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. present — the time now

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