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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. bass — low music
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. date — the fruit
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lie — to recline
  20. can — a tin
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wound — an injury
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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