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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bound — certain
  6. pass — a permit
  7. object — to protest
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cap — a hat
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bound — tied together
  12. object — an aim
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cap — of ice
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bass — low music
  17. capital — money
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cap — a lid
  21. chair — a leader
  22. object — a thing
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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