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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 124 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. court — for sport
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. squash — the sport
  7. craft — boats
  8. bass — low music
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. mark — a grade
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mate — a partner
  16. court — of a king
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wake — a trail
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. court — of law
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mark — a trace
  24. jam — a tight spot

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