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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. court — for sport
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bass — low music
  6. club — for golf
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wind — moving air
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bear — the animal
  15. last — to go on
  16. club — a group
  17. court — of law
  18. club — for dancing
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. court — of a king
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bear — the animal

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