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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bass — low music
  6. present — there
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. game — a match
  9. present — the time now
  10. bass — the fish
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cap — a hat
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rule — government
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rule — a law
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ball — a great time
  21. present — a gift
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. key — in music

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