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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. craft — boats
  6. game — a match
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pop — soda
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. spell — letters
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. spell — a short time
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. spell — magic
  22. pop — music
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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