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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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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: ball · bound · net · ground · row · safe · lie · pitcher

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. net — in sport
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lie — to recline
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ball — a dance
  16. net — for catching
  17. ball — a great time
  18. net — after costs
  19. bound — certain
  20. row — to paddle
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bound — obliged
  23. row — a line
  24. bound — tied together

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