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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pop — music
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bound — tied together
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bass — low music
  17. game — a match
  18. rush — hurry
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pop — soda
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pop — to visit
  24. game — a kind of play

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