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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rule — a law
  3. bass — low music
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. root — of a plant
  6. face — to confront
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. rule — government
  10. bound — obliged
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bass — the fish
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bound — certain
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bound — tied together
  18. dip — to sink
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pitcher — a jug

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