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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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 — the instrument
  2. bound — obliged
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pit — a hole
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bound — tied together
  9. key — in music
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. saw — the tool
  14. key — for a lock
  15. capital — money
  16. bass — low music
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. prune — to trim
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bound — certain
  21. prune — to trim
  22. capital — a city
  23. pit — in a race
  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