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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. scale — in music
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. club — for dancing
  6. last — to go on
  7. shower — to wash
  8. last — final
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. club — a group
  12. shower — rain
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. club — for golf
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. last — finally
  18. bass — the fish
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bass — low music

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