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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wound · fork · mouse · bass · drill · pound · bound · game

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bound — obliged
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bound — certain
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bass — low music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bound — tied together
  19. game — a match
  20. bass — the fish
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mouse — for a computer

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