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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. roll — a list
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. track — to keep track
  10. net — for catching
  11. roll — a cake
  12. net — in sport
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. bass — low music
  18. net — after costs
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fall — the season
  22. bound — certain
  23. bass — the fish
  24. fork — a garden tool

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