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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: tube · march · bound · roll · leaves · wound · bass · charge

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. march — the month
  3. charge — in control
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. march — the month
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. tube — the underground
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. roll — a list
  14. wound — an injury
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bound — certain
  18. march — music
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. tube — a container
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bass — low music
  24. charge — a price

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