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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bound — obliged
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bass — the fish
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. march — music
  7. hand — help
  8. pop — soda
  9. mark — a grade
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. march — the month
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. toast — bread
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — music
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. march — the month
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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