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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
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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: cabinet · court · squash · bay · bass · scale · fan · jam

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bass — low music
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. court — for sport
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. court — of a king
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. scale — in music
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bass — the fish
  24. court — of law

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