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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. rest — a break
  19. bass — low music
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wind — moving air

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