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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. current — happening now
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. current — electric
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bound — certain
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pass — a permit
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. current — of water
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fine — high quality

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