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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. season — in sport
  5. cue — for pool
  6. track — a path
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cue — a signal
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bass — low music
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. club — for dancing
  20. track — a song
  21. cue — a hint
  22. track — to keep track
  23. season — of the year
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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