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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: spell · bound · shower · fork · mine · can · mark · bass

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. shower — rain
  19. bass — low music
  20. spell — magic
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. can — a tin

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