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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · pop · firm · pitch · bound · staff · can · racket

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. ground — crushed
  4. staff — employees
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pop — to visit
  7. firm — steady
  8. pop — soda
  9. can — to be able to
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. can — a tin
  13. bound — certain
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. can — a tin
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pop — music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. ground — a position
  24. racket — a loud noise

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