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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bass · bound · mark · racket · mine · fan · pit · board

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. board — a committee
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. board — to get on
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bound — certain
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mine — belonging to me

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