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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pitch — completely
  4. scale — in music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bass — low music
  24. bank — of a river

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