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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: mouse · bound · can · ball · nail · land · cap · stand

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cap — a lid
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cap — a hat
  9. can — a tin
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bound — certain
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. land — ground
  19. can — a tin
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. land — to come down
  22. cap — of ice
  23. land — a country
  24. stand — on your feet

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