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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: mouse · fork · bass · season · pitch · bound · land · bore

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bound — tied together
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. land — to come down
  10. season — of the year
  11. bass — low music
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. land — a country
  17. season — in sport
  18. bound — certain
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bore — to drill

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