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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cap — a lid
  3. craft — boats
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rush — hurry
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. can — a tin
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. craft — a skill
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. can — a tin
  18. bass — low music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cap — a hat
  24. can — to be able to

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