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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pass — a permit
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stock — shares
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stock — goods
  17. bound — certain
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bat — the animal
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cap — of ice

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