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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: game · bound · nail · roll · bass · rush · pop · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. game — a match
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. roll — a cake
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pop — soda
  10. bound — certain
  11. rush — hurry
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bass — the fish
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bound — obliged
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pop — music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pop — to visit
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. game — wild animals
  22. roll — a list
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bass — low music

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