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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bass — low music
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. board — to get on
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. fall — to drop
  11. staff — employees
  12. fall — the season
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. staff — employees
  16. board — a committee
  17. bat — the animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. staff — a stick
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bass — the fish
  24. foot — the bottom

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