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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 124 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bat — the animal
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. rest — what's left
  22. capital — a city
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. capital — money

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