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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 124 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: shower · game · pitch · bound · firm · board · saw · tube

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bound — obliged
  4. shower — rain
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pitch — completely
  7. firm — decided
  8. board — to get on
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bound — certain
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. game — wild animals
  13. tube — a container
  14. shower — to wash
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bound — tied together
  17. firm — a company
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. board — a committee
  21. saw — the tool
  22. tube — the underground
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pitch — a sports field

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