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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: mark · cell · ground · calf · bass · net · bound · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bass — low music
  8. net — for catching
  9. file — a tool
  10. cell — a phone
  11. net — in sport
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. net — after costs
  14. ground — crushed
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bound — certain
  18. mark — a grade
  19. ground — the earth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. ground — a position
  24. file — a document

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