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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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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: ground · bear · cue · firm · fan · bound · temple · bass

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ground — a position
  3. firm — a company
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. firm — steady
  6. bound — certain
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bass — low music
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bear — the animal
  24. firm — decided

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