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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
468
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: deal · rule · scale · stick · bass · wake · mine · bound

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. rule — a law
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wake — a trail
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bass — low music
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rule — government
  14. bound — tied together
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bound — certain
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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