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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rule — government
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — low music
  8. stem — to come from
  9. craft — boats
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rule — a law
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bound — certain
  24. craft — a handicraft

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