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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. mug — a face
  3. bass — the fish
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. court — of law
  6. bound — tied together
  7. prune — to trim
  8. capital — a city
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bound — obliged
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ball — a dance
  18. capital — money
  19. court — for sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. court — of a king
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mug — a cup

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