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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: stand · vault · bound · rush · mug · land · date · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bass — the fish
  4. land — ground
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bound — obliged
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. land — a country
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rush — hurry
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bound — certain
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. land — to come down
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mug — a cup

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