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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. kid — to tease
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. game — a match
  7. bass — the fish
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mate — to breed
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bass — low music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pit — a hole
  23. kid — child
  24. mate — a friend

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