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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. key — for a lock
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. prune — to trim
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. roll — a list
  10. key — in music
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cap — a lid
  13. net — after costs
  14. prune — to trim
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bass — the fish
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cap — a hat
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. cap — of ice
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. net — for catching

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