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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stem — to come from
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bass — low music
  11. shower — rain
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. drill — army training
  14. pit — in a race
  15. key — in music
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. drill — the tool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bass — the fish

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