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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 116 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. lie — to recline
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. key — in music
  9. scale — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bass — low music
  17. tear — from crying
  18. key — for a lock
  19. race — a contest
  20. tear — to rip
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. perch — the fish
  24. race — humankind

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