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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: hand · bound · track · last · safe · dip · pop · bass

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bass — low music
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. pop — soda
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. last — final
  8. bound — obliged
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pop — music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. track — a path
  13. pop — to visit
  14. last — to go on
  15. bound — tied together
  16. track — a song
  17. bass — the fish
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. last — finally
  23. dip — to sink
  24. safe — out of danger

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