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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bass — the fish
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bass — low music
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bound — tied together
  8. fine — high quality
  9. root — the cause
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. root — of a word
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. present — a gift
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. present — the time now
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. spring — the season
  19. bound — obliged
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fine — all right
  22. deal — to handle
  23. present — there
  24. spring — of water

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