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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bass — the fish
  3. fine — all right
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bass — low music
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. last — to go on
  9. plane — a tool
  10. last — finally
  11. last — final
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitch — completely

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