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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wound · pitcher · land · lie · ball · bound · bowl · sharp

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. land — ground
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. land — to come down
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. land — a country
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bowl — to roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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