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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: board · ground · row · pop · bay · deal · bound · shower

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. row — to paddle
  3. shower — rain
  4. row — a line
  5. pop — soda
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. ground — a position
  9. pop — music
  10. board — to get on
  11. bound — obliged
  12. ground — the earth
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. board — a committee
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pop — to visit

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