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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. shower — to wash
  6. dip — to sink
  7. track — a path
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bound — certain
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. track — a song
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bass — low music
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. shower — rain

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