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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · game · cap · wave · object · bass

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bound — tied together
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. game — a match

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