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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. suit — in cards
  5. roll — a list
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bass — low music
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bound — certain
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bound — tied together

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