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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. bass — the fish
  2. pitch — completely
  3. staff — employees
  4. rule — government
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. field — a subject
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. staff — employees
  16. bulb — for light
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — for sport
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — low music
  22. rule — a law
  23. staff — a stick
  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