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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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 instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fine — high quality
  5. track — a song
  6. key — in music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. capital — money
  12. spell — magic
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. key — for a lock
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. track — a path
  19. spell — letters
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fine — all right
  23. spell — a short time
  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