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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bass — the fish
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. degree — an amount
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. drill — army training
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. degree — from a university
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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