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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. snap — to click
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bass — the fish
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bound — certain
  8. field — farmland
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bound — obliged
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. key — for a lock
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bound — tied together
  17. field — for sport
  18. key — the most important part
  19. field — a subject
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. key — in music

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