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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 120 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: charge · present · hand · lean · pitcher · bass · band · bound

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bound — obliged
  3. hand — in cards
  4. lean — thin
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. bound — tied together
  8. hand — help
  9. lean — to bend
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bound — certain
  12. band — a ring
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. present — there
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. charge — a price
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. present — a gift
  23. bass — the fish
  24. present — the time now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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