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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: band · wave · bass · suit · pitcher · kick · bound · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bound — certain
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bass — the fish
  7. band — a music group
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. kick — in football
  10. suit — in cards
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bound — obliged
  14. band — a ring
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bass — low music
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bound — tied together
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pitcher — a jug

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