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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bound — certain
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bound — tied together
  9. court — for sport
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cell — in biology
  12. game — a match
  13. court — of law
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rest — a break
  20. court — of a king
  21. cell — a phone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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