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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bass — the fish
  5. drill — army training
  6. staff — a stick
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. staff — employees
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bass — low music
  15. ball — a dance
  16. drill — a practice
  17. staff — employees
  18. hand — help
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. ball — a great time
  24. firm — a company

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