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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 120 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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. capital — a city
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cue — a hint
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bound — certain
  14. capital — money
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bound — tied together
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stand — to bear
  19. swing — music
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. cue — for pool
  24. fan — a supporter

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