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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: rock · sharp · pitcher · ball · bound · rash · saw · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bound — tied together
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rock — a stone
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rock — music
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rash — a series
  24. saw — the tool

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