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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. toast — bread
  6. charge — in control
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wake — a trail
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. ground — the earth
  15. charge — a price
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bass — low music
  18. ground — a position
  19. roll — a list
  20. bound — certain
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. charge — electricity
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wake — before a funeral

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