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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.

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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. field — for sport
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fork — in a road
  9. tube — a container
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. field — farmland
  15. sharp — clever
  16. tube — the underground
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. field — a subject
  24. pitcher — a jug

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