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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · craft · key · rule · wake · bass · foot · pitcher

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. key — in music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bass — the fish
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. bass — low music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wound — an injury
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. craft — boats
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wake — a trail
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wound — an injury

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