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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: bound · fan · rule · bat · bass · bay · rock · ground

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rock — music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. ground — a position
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bound — certain
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rule — government
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rule — a law
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bass — low music
  24. bat — the animal

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