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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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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 · bass · shower · game · firm · last · stick · current

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. current — electric
  3. shower — rain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. last — finally
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. firm — a company
  9. bound — certain
  10. bass — low music
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. last — to go on
  16. game — wild animals
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. shower — to wash
  20. current — happening now
  21. bass — the fish
  22. game — a match
  23. current — of water
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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