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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. net — after costs
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fine — high quality
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. club — a group
  12. march — music
  13. foot — a measure
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. net — for catching
  17. fine — all right
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. scale — in music
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. key — for a lock
  23. net — in sport
  24. fine — a penalty

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