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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 116 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: lie · current · bass · band · mouse · scale · net · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. net — for catching
  3. current — of water
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bound — obliged
  6. net — in sport
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bass — low music
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. current — electric
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. band — a music group
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. band — a ring
  23. net — after costs
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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