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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: kick · ruler · land · bound · can · fall · bowl · perch

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. can — a tin
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fall — to drop
  7. land — ground
  8. fall — to drop
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. kick — in football
  13. can — to be able to
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. perch — the fish
  17. land — to come down
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. can — a tin
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fall — the season
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. land — a country

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