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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rule — government
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. key — for a lock
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. key — in music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rule — a law
  22. bass — low music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mine — for digging

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