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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. swing — music
  4. charge — a price
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bass — the fish
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bass — low music
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. charge — electricity
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mate — a partner
  20. charge — in control
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rush — to hurry

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