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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bore — to tire
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bound — tied together
  6. capital — a city
  7. bound — certain
  8. suit — to fit
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. capital — money
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bass — low music
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. stock — shares
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bound — obliged
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bore — to drill

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