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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 · chest · bound · swing · craft · squash · track · object

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bass — the fish
  3. chest — of your body
  4. object — a thing
  5. track — a path
  6. craft — a skill
  7. object — to protest
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bound — certain
  10. chest — of your body
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bound — obliged
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. object — an aim
  15. swing — to play on
  16. track — a song
  17. squash — the sport
  18. craft — boats
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bound — tied together
  21. swing — music
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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