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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. track — to keep track
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. track — a path
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. track — a song
  8. wound — an injury
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bass — low music
  15. scale — in music
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. craft — boats
  21. bass — the fish
  22. scale — size or range
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. foot — the bottom

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