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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. ground — a position
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pitch — completely
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bass — low music
  9. cue — for pool
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. snap — to click
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. scale — in music
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. key — in music
  22. tube — a container
  23. scale — size or range
  24. key — the most important part

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