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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ground — a position
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bound — certain
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. kid — child
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bound — obliged
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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