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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bass — low music
  4. face — to point toward
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fine — all right
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mate — a partner
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. scale — in music
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mate — to breed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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