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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: march · stick · row · cap · court · nail · bound · bass

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cap — a lid
  5. court — for sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. march — the month
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. row — a line
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. court — of law
  13. row — to paddle
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. march — the month
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bass — low music
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bound — certain
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bass — the fish
  23. march — music
  24. court — of a king

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