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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. hand — help
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. scale — in music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. march — the month
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bore — to drill
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. march — music
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bore — to tire
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. march — the month
  24. safe — a strongbox

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