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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. court — of a king
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bound — tied together
  11. court — for sport
  12. wind — moving air
  13. court — of law
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bass — low music
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wind — moving air
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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