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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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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: drill · kick · bound · cell · ball · pound · fall · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fall — the season
  3. bound — certain
  4. drill — army training
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cell — in biology
  8. game — wild animals
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. ball — a dance
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bound — obliged
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ball — a great time
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. game — a match

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