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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bass — low music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bass — the fish
  8. court — of law
  9. scale — in music
  10. mug — a face
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mug — a cup
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. ball — a dance
  18. court — for sport
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — temperature
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. court — of a king

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