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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: ball · land · bat · can · nail · stand · bound · fork

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. can — to be able to
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bound — certain
  7. can — a tin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stand — to bear
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. ball — a great time
  20. can — a tin
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bat — the animal
  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