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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. board — a committee
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. land — to come down
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bound — certain
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lie — to recline
  14. land — a country
  15. squash — the sport
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. land — ground
  20. squash — to crush
  21. board — to get on
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bass — the fish

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