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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. march — music
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bound — certain
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ball — a great time
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bound — tied together
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mark — a grade
  20. current — happening now
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. lie — an untruth

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