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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bound — certain
  4. bank — of a river
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bank — for money
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. wake — a trail
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bank — for money

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