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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cell — a phone
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bass — low music
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. craft — boats
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bass — the fish

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