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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bass — the fish
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. court — of law
  8. bass — low music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. present — there
  13. court — of a king
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. present — the time now
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. present — a gift
  20. court — for sport
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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