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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. land — ground
  6. charge — a price
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. land — a country
  10. key — the most important part
  11. charge — electricity
  12. kid — child
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. key — in music
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. key — for a lock
  17. land — to come down
  18. charge — in control
  19. bound — certain
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pitch — completely
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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