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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rock — a stone
  3. court — of law
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rock — music
  6. court — for sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. net — after costs
  11. key — the most important part
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. court — of a king
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. saw — the tool
  17. spell — magic
  18. net — in sport
  19. key — for a lock
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. key — in music
  23. spell — letters
  24. bass — low music

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