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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bass — low music
  6. pound — a weight
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bound — obliged
  9. object — to protest
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. object — a thing
  12. pop — soda
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bound — certain
  15. pop — music
  16. object — an aim
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pop — to visit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pound — for dogs

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