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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 116 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bound — certain
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. press — to push
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bass — low music
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pit — in a race
  15. band — a music group
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rush — hurry

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