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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: march · bat · plane · charge · bass · can · bound · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bat — the animal
  3. charge — electricity
  4. can — a tin
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. charge — a price
  9. can — to be able to
  10. charge — in control
  11. bass — low music
  12. can — a tin
  13. march — music
  14. bound — certain
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bound — obliged
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mouse — for a computer

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