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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wake — a trail
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ground — crushed
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pop — music
  10. face — to point toward
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. ground — a position
  14. bass — low music
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. face — to confront
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ruler — for measuring

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