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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: bound · dip · bass · swing · shower · pitcher · pound · vault

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. shower — rain
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bound — tied together
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bass — low music
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. shower — to wash
  18. swing — music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. swing — in golf
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pound — a weight

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