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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bass — the fish
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bass — low music
  6. court — for sport
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. court — of law
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. suit — in cards
  14. face — to confront
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bat — the animal
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. suit — clothes
  23. court — of a king
  24. face — part of the head

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