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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. toast — bread
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bass — low music
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cell — in biology
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — the most admired

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