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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: game · swing · bound · dip · saw · pass · can · net

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. can — a tin
  3. game — wild animals
  4. saw — the tool
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. bound — certain
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. game — a match
  10. net — for catching
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. pass — a permit
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. swing — in golf
  18. can — a tin
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bound — obliged
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pass — to succeed

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