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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bass — low music
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. object — to protest
  5. pit — a hole
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. hand — help
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. drill — the tool
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pit — in a race
  19. drill — army training
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. ball — a dance
  22. object — a thing
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. hand — part of the body

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