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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. court — of a king
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bound — tied together
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pop — to visit
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. court — of law
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stand — to bear
  24. court — for sport

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