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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. court — of a king
  3. track — a song
  4. court — of law
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pass — a permit
  7. lie — to recline
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bass — low music
  10. court — for sport
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. drill — army training
  13. track — to keep track
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. drill — a practice
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. degree — temperature
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. track — a path
  22. degree — an amount
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pass — to succeed

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