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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bass — the fish
  7. roll — a list
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. wound — an injury
  11. roll — a cake
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fall — the season
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bass — low music
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. scale — in music
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — a tight spot

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