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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: board · content · wind · hand · suit · can · bear · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. hand — help
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bass — low music
  6. board — a committee
  7. content — the amount
  8. suit — clothes
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wind — moving air
  14. can — a tin
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. hand — in cards
  17. board — to get on
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. can — a tin
  20. wind — moving air
  21. content — happy
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hand — part of the body

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