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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. capital — money
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bound — certain
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. deal — to handle
  8. roll — a cake
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bass — low music
  14. mine — for digging
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. capital — a city
  19. roll — a list
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mine — an explosive

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