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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. key — in music
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bass — low music
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. object — a thing
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. object — to protest
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bass — the fish
  16. season — of the year
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in biology
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. object — an aim
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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