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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bear — the animal
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. current — electric
  6. bass — low music
  7. march — the month
  8. suit — to fit
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. current — of water
  11. march — the month
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. suit — clothes
  16. current — happening now
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bound — certain
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bound — tied together

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