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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cell · wound · toast · bass · pitcher · saw · key · object

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. key — for a lock
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. cell — in biology
  10. object — a thing
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bass — low music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. object — to protest
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. key — in music
  24. object — an aim

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