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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: land · kick · tube · pass · bound · pit · bowl · bear

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bound — certain
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. tube — a container
  15. bound — obliged
  16. land — to come down
  17. kick — in football
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pass — a permit
  24. tube — in a tire

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