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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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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 · pound · ball · bound · land · season

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. season — in sport
  3. pound — a weight
  4. land — a country
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bound — obliged
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bound — certain
  13. land — to come down
  14. game — a match
  15. season — of the year
  16. ball — a great time
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. land — ground

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