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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. clip — for paper
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fork — in a road
  6. staff — employees
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pit — in a race
  11. clip — to cut
  12. staff — employees
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — government
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fall — to drop
  23. clip — a video
  24. fall — the season

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