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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 120 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: rest · net · rush · bass · firm · board · march · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rest — what's left
  3. firm — a company
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bass — low music
  9. bound — certain
  10. firm — decided
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. rest — a break
  15. net — for catching
  16. march — the month
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. board — to get on
  20. firm — steady
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bound — tied together
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — a flat piece

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