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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: rock · bass · arm · rule · foot · bear · bound · pitcher

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bound — certain
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rock — music
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rule — government
  14. bass — low music
  15. bound — obliged
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rule — a law
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rule — to rule out

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