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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pop — music
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bound — obliged
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rock — music
  15. game — a match
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. craft — boats
  22. bound — certain
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pass — a permit

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