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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bass — low music
  3. board — a committee
  4. rash — a series
  5. can — a tin
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wound — an injury
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. board — to get on
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rash — hasty
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wound — an injury
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. fan — a supporter

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