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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 116 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 · current · content · drill · stick · fall · rest · bound

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bass — the fish
  5. current — electric
  6. fall — the season
  7. drill — army training
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rest — a break
  10. content — the amount
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. rest — what's left
  15. content — happy
  16. drill — the tool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. current — happening now
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bass — low music
  22. current — of water
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bound — tied together

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