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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rock — music
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bass — low music
  10. capital — money
  11. current — electric
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. capital — a city
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bound — certain
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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