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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.

Make a worksheet

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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. scale — in music
  3. bass — low music
  4. court — of law
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. court — of a king
  7. row — a line
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bass — the fish
  11. row — to paddle
  12. spell — letters
  13. court — for sport
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pound — a weight
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. jam — a tight spot

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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