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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mine — for digging
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bat — the animal
  9. key — in music
  10. pass — a permit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bass — low music
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bass — the fish
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mug — a face

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