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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stand — to bear
  4. file — a line of people
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bound — certain
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. file — a document
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. cue — a signal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. file — a tool
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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