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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bass — low music
  4. cold — not warm
  5. rush — hurry
  6. track — to keep track
  7. season — in sport
  8. track — a song
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. cold — an illness
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. track — a path
  16. bass — the fish
  17. firm — decided
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. firm — steady
  20. bound — obliged
  21. firm — a company
  22. season — of the year
  23. bound — certain
  24. deal — to handle

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