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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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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: court · wave · fork · firm · bay · bass · squash · lie

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. firm — decided
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. firm — steady
  6. court — for sport
  7. fork — in a road
  8. court — of law
  9. bass — low music
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. court — of a king
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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