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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. ground — the earth
  3. squash — the sport
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. court — of a king
  6. bass — the fish
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. ground — crushed
  10. court — of law
  11. fork — in a road
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cue — a hint
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. court — for sport
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. ground — a position
  20. cue — a signal
  21. toast — bread
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bass — low music

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