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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. track — to keep track
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. tube — a container
  17. fork — in a road
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. game — a match
  24. fork — a garden tool

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