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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bound — certain
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bass — low music

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