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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: bass · bound · mark · snap · fine · pop · cap · can

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pop — soda
  4. fine — all right
  5. bound — tied together
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bass — low music
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bass — the fish
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. pop — to visit
  15. snap — to click
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. can — a tin
  19. pop — music
  20. bound — certain
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bound — obliged

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