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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. tube — the underground
  3. scale — in music
  4. net — for catching
  5. firm — decided
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. firm — steady
  16. shower — to wash
  17. firm — a company
  18. bass — the fish
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. shower — rain
  21. bass — low music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. tube — a container

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