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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pound — a weight
  5. snap — to click
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. firm — a company
  8. last — final
  9. last — to go on
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bass — the fish
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ball — a dance
  14. scale — size or range
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bass — low music
  17. ball — a great time
  18. firm — decided
  19. scale — in music
  20. firm — steady
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. last — finally

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