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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. scale — size or range
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. scale — in music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. squash — to crush
  11. fine — all right
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. march — the month
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. march — music
  17. rock — music
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. march — the month
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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