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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · last · dip · wake · scale · bass · wind · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. last — finally
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. court — of law
  7. wake — a trail
  8. scale — in music
  9. court — for sport
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. dip — to sink
  15. deal — to handle
  16. last — to go on
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bass — low music
  19. last — final
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bass — the fish

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