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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. court — for sport
  8. wake — a trail
  9. saw — the tool
  10. scale — in music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. court — of law
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bass — low music
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bass — the fish
  20. board — a committee
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. scale — size or range
  23. court — of a king
  24. wake — before a funeral

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