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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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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: bound · fall · land · bowl · club · pass · drill · sharp

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. drill — the tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bound — tied together
  8. land — a country
  9. bound — certain
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. land — to come down
  13. fall — the season
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. land — ground
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. drill — army training
  18. bound — obliged
  19. club — a group
  20. pass — a permit
  21. club — for golf
  22. fall — to drop
  23. drill — a practice
  24. sharp — clever

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