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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: foot · pitcher · bass · bound · firm · spell · drill · current

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bass — low music
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. drill — a practice
  5. spell — a short time
  6. firm — steady
  7. drill — the tool
  8. foot — a measure
  9. spell — letters
  10. bound — obliged
  11. current — electric
  12. bound — tied together
  13. current — of water
  14. bound — certain
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. current — happening now
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. spell — magic
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. drill — army training

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