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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: rock · ball · pitcher · hide · row · prune · bass · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. bass — the fish
  5. ball — a great time
  6. prune — to trim
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bound — tied together
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rock — music
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bass — low music

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