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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. bound — obliged
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. present — there
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitch — completely
  13. present — a gift
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bass — the fish
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bound — certain
  21. cold — not warm
  22. present — the time now
  23. bass — low music
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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