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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bound — tied together
  3. spell — magic
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mark — a grade
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. track — a path
  16. spell — letters
  17. track — a song
  18. last — to go on
  19. bass — low music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. track — to keep track

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