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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. key — the most important part
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. club — a group
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bass — the fish
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. key — in music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. key — for a lock
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. ball — a great time
  18. field — for sport
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. club — for golf
  21. drill — a practice
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — a subject
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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