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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. march — the month
  5. net — for catching
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. march — the month
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mine — for digging
  12. net — in sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bound — certain
  18. march — music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. bound — tied together
  23. net — after costs
  24. mine — an explosive

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