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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. key — for a lock
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. cap — a lid
  12. key — in music
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. branch — a division
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bound — obliged
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bass — the fish

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