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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bass — low music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rash — hasty
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mark — a grade
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. key — in music
  13. rash — a series
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mark — a trace
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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