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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bass — low music
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bass — the fish
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cell — in biology
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. plane — a tool
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. prune — to trim
  24. kick — in football

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