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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pit — a hole
  4. band — a music group
  5. bass — the fish
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bat — the animal
  11. craft — boats
  12. bass — low music
  13. bound — certain
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bulb — for light
  16. band — a ring
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pass — to succeed

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