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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bass — low music
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. last — final
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. last — finally
  8. net — for catching
  9. bass — the fish
  10. last — to go on
  11. rest — what's left
  12. net — after costs
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. net — in sport
  19. rest — a break
  20. board — to get on
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ball — a dance

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