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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. ball — a great time
  3. key — for a lock
  4. file — a line of people
  5. swing — to play on
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. swing — music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bass — low music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. file — a document
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pit — in a race
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. swing — in golf
  24. file — a tool

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