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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 120 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 · game · straw · board · stand · saw · deal · rock

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rock — music
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bound — obliged
  9. board — a committee
  10. game — a match
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. saw — the tool
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bound — tied together
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bound — certain
  22. board — to get on
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. game — a kind of play

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