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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bound — tied together
  3. root — of a word
  4. bass — low music
  5. staff — employees
  6. fall — to drop
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. land — to come down
  9. root — the cause
  10. staff — a stick
  11. land — ground
  12. bound — obliged
  13. root — of a plant
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bound — certain
  17. fall — to drop
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. season — in sport
  20. bass — the fish
  21. season — of the year
  22. staff — employees
  23. fall — the season
  24. land — a country

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