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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 116 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. firm — steady
  5. vault — a safe
  6. ground — a position
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — decided
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bound — certain
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. ground — the earth
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bound — obliged

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