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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: fan · bass · firm · rush · bound · spell · sharp · pop

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. spell — letters
  5. bass — low music
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. firm — a company
  9. bound — obliged
  10. firm — steady
  11. spell — magic
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pop — music
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. firm — decided
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. spell — a short time

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