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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: mate · dip · pound · bank · bass · fine · wake · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. bound — certain
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bank — for money
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fine — all right
  7. bound — obliged
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bass — low music
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bank — for money
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bank — of a river
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bass — the fish
  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