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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bass — low music
  3. shower — to wash
  4. object — to protest
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. object — an aim
  13. drill — army training
  14. can — a tin
  15. object — a thing
  16. cell — in biology
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bass — the fish
  20. can — a tin
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bound — certain

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