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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fall — the season
  3. march — music
  4. ball — a great time
  5. march — the month
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. march — the month
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bass — low music
  11. race — a contest
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. race — humankind
  15. fall — to drop
  16. swing — music
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. cabinet — ministers

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