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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: firm · bass · staff · shower · fine · cell · bound · board

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. bass — low music
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cell — a phone
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — rain
  14. staff — employees
  15. board — to get on
  16. cell — in biology
  17. board — a committee
  18. fine — high quality
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bound — certain
  23. firm — steady
  24. bound — tied together

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