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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. squash — to crush
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bass — the fish
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mark — a trace
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. key — in music
  17. board — a committee
  18. field — farmland
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. board — to get on

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