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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bass — low music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. firm — a company
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. firm — decided
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bound — certain
  22. firm — steady
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — 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