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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. current — happening now
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. board — to get on
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bass — low music
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lean — thin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. pass — a permit
  22. board — a committee
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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