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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · foot · row · firm · stand · ground · straw · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. firm — decided
  6. board — to get on
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. ground — crushed
  10. row — a line
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. board — a committee
  13. bound — obliged
  14. firm — a company
  15. bound — certain
  16. ground — a position
  17. firm — steady
  18. foot — a measure
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. ground — the earth

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