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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bass — low music
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. foot — a measure
  8. board — to get on
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bass — the fish
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. board — a committee
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. scale — in music
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. scale — size or range

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