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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 124 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bass — the fish
  4. game — wild animals
  5. spell — letters
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. toast — bread
  9. bound — certain
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. game — a match
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rush — hurry
  16. branch — a division
  17. suit — to fit
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. suit — in cards
  22. spell — magic
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rush — a thrill

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