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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: land · bound · stand · ruler · can · pop

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. bound — obliged
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bound — tied together
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. can — a tin
  9. pop — music
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. land — a country
  12. pop — soda
  13. can — a tin
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pop — to visit
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bound — certain

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