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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: rock · fan · bound · pitcher · firm · snap · fine · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. firm — steady
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. firm — a company
  12. bound — certain
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. snap — to click
  15. rock — music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. firm — decided
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fine — all right
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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