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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.

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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. hand — help
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bass — low music
  12. branch — a division
  13. stem — to come from
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pit — a hole
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bound — certain
  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