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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: board · firm · tube · game · bound · bowl · tear · cabinet

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. firm — a company
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. game — wild animals
  6. tube — the underground
  7. game — a match
  8. tear — to rip
  9. board — a committee
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. firm — decided
  12. tube — a container
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. board — to get on
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. firm — steady
  24. bowl — to roll

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