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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: season · kick · tear · bound · pitcher · row · firm · can

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. tear — to rip
  5. row — a line
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. tear — from crying
  8. kick — in football
  9. bound — obliged
  10. season — of the year
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. firm — decided
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. tear — from crying
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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