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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bound — certain
  3. bass — the fish
  4. court — of a king
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bass — low music
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. rush — hurry
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. court — of law
  16. bound — obliged
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. object — a thing
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. court — for sport
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fall — the season

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