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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. charge — electricity
  5. band — a music group
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rash — hasty
  9. charge — a price
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rash — a series
  14. spring — of water
  15. foot — a measure
  16. spring — the season
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. charge — in control
  19. band — a ring
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bound — tied together

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