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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: bound · land · ball · bark · drill · suit

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ball — a great time
  4. land — a country
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bound — certain
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bound — obliged
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. suit — in cards
  14. drill — army training
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down

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