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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: bass · squash · march · mug · bulb · craft · track · key

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. key — in music
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mug — to rob
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. track — a song
  12. craft — boats
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mug — a cup
  17. craft — a skill
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bass — the fish
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. mug — a face
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. march — the month

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