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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bass — the fish
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. squash — to crush
  9. land — to come down
  10. board — a committee
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — bread
  13. last — to go on
  14. land — a country
  15. land — ground
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. staff — employees
  18. board — to get on
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. last — final
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. last — finally
  23. squash — the sport
  24. board — a flat piece

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