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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. fine — all right
  13. deal — to handle
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bass — low music
  17. spring — the season
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. key — for a lock
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bowl — to roll

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