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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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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: mine · mark · saw · bass · fine · fork · ball · cabinet

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bass — low music
  3. ball — a dance
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fine — high quality
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fine — all right
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mark — a trace
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mine — for digging
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mark — a grade

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