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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · leaves · bass · chest · last · pitcher · mouse · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. firm — steady
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chest — a box
  11. last — finally
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bass — low music
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. last — to go on
  17. firm — a company
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. last — final
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bound — obliged

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