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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bass — the fish
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bound — certain
  6. degree — an amount
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bound — tied together
  9. present — the time now
  10. suit — clothes
  11. chest — of your body
  12. suit — in cards
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bass — low music
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. degree — from a university
  21. deal — to handle
  22. degree — temperature
  23. chest — a box
  24. bass — the instrument

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