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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. net — after costs
  7. rock — music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pop — music
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rock — a stone
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. net — for catching
  18. bound — certain
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pop — soda
  21. mark — a trace
  22. net — in sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bound — obliged

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