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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: wave · mouse · club · bass · rush · bound · fork · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bound — certain
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bound — tied together
  7. club — a group
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rush — hurry
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. bass — low music
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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