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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bound — tied together
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bound — certain
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mug — a face
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bass — low music
  13. file — a tool
  14. rule — government
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mug — a cup
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

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