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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. scale — in music
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bass — low music
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bat — the animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fine — high quality
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. fine — all right
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. suit — in cards
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bass — the fish
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. clip — a video
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. kick — in football
  23. scale — size or range
  24. suit — clothes

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