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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bass — the fish
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. ground — a position
  11. bound — obliged
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. sharp — clever
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cue — a signal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bass — low music
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bound — certain
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rock — to move gently

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