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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. land — a country
  3. bass — low music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. land — ground
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. key — for a lock
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. game — a match
  16. land — to come down
  17. squash — to crush
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bulb — for light
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. key — in music
  24. racket — for tennis

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