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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. firm — decided
  4. fine — all right
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bass — low music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. firm — a company
  13. pop — music
  14. clip — a video
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. clip — to cut
  17. firm — steady
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pop — soda
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bass — the fish
  23. land — to come down
  24. fine — high quality

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