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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: bound · pitcher · bass · rush · track · dip · mark · saw

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bound — obliged
  8. track — to keep track
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bound — certain
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rush — hurry
  19. track — a song
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. track — a path
  22. bass — low music
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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