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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: swing · bound · march · fan · suit · drill · roll · net

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. swing — music
  3. bound — tied together
  4. roll — a list
  5. swing — to play on
  6. net — for catching
  7. bound — obliged
  8. drill — a practice
  9. net — after costs
  10. suit — to fit
  11. march — the month
  12. net — in sport
  13. march — music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. roll — a cake
  16. swing — in golf
  17. drill — the tool
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. drill — army training
  21. march — the month
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. suit — clothes

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