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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. ball — a dance
  3. scale — in music
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bass — low music
  8. object — to protest
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. file — a document
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bore — to tire
  14. scale — size or range
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. object — an aim
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. file — a tool
  24. object — a thing

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