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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
468
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: object · bass · pitcher · hide · stem · foot · bound · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bass — low music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. object — to protest
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stem — to come from
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bound — obliged
  19. object — a thing
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bound — certain
  23. object — an aim
  24. game — a kind of play

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