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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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 — the instrument
  2. key — in music
  3. rule — government
  4. spell — a short time
  5. squash — the sport
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. rock — a stone
  9. squash — to crush
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bass — low music
  13. rock — music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. snap — to click
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. key — for a lock
  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