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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bass — the fish
  5. season — in sport
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bound — certain
  12. track — a path
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pound — a weight
  17. track — to keep track
  18. suit — clothes
  19. season — of the year
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. scale — in music
  22. bound — tied together
  23. track — a song
  24. bass — low music

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