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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 116 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: track · mine · swing · bound · hand · ruler · stand · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bass — low music
  4. track — a path
  5. mine — for digging
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bound — certain
  10. track — a song
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hand — help
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stand — to bear
  24. swing — 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