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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 116 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. root — the cause
  4. saw — the tool
  5. present — there
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bound — obliged
  8. present — the time now
  9. net — after costs
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. saw — the tool
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bass — low music
  15. net — in sport
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. root — of a plant
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bound — tied together
  20. net — for catching
  21. bound — certain
  22. root — of a word
  23. present — a gift
  24. tube — a container

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