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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: bay · suit · lean · ball · bound · ground · kid · game

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. game — a match
  3. ball — a great time
  4. lean — thin
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. suit — in cards
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bound — certain
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bound — obliged
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bound — tied together
  23. suit — to fit
  24. ground — a position

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