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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. last — final
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. last — to go on
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. club — for golf
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. club — a group
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. scale — in music
  14. pitch — completely
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. last — finally
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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