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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: row · rule · ground · can · pitcher · rock · wave · bound

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. ground — crushed
  3. can — a tin
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rock — music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rule — government
  14. row — a line
  15. bound — certain
  16. can — a tin
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. can — to be able to
  20. ground — a position
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rule — a law
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rule — to rule out

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