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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. key — the most important part
  6. can — a tin
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. can — a tin
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bass — low music
  11. craft — boats
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. squash — to crush
  17. chest — a box
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. can — to be able to
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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