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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: pit · wound · band · bass · bound · arm · current · pass

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bound — certain
  3. current — electric
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pit — a hole
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. band — a ring
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bass — low music
  16. band — a music group
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bound — tied together
  24. arm — a part of something

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