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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. net — in sport
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bass — low music
  8. net — for catching
  9. scale — in music
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. net — after costs
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bass — the fish

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