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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bound — certain
  9. pop — music
  10. bass — low music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rash — a series
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pitch — completely
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pop — soda
  24. pitch — a sports field

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