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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. scale — in music
  3. net — after costs
  4. bark — to shout
  5. ground — a position
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bound — tied together
  9. net — in sport
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bass — low music
  13. ground — crushed
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bound — certain
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bass — the fish
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pass — to succeed

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