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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 116 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
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: mouse · field · pass · key · bass · file · cue · chair

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. key — for a lock
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. field — farmland
  10. bass — low music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. field — for sport
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cue — for pool
  18. field — a subject
  19. key — in music
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  24. chair — a leader

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