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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: game · foot · ground · bound · cue · pit · land · mug

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. land — a country
  3. mug — a cup
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pit — in a race
  6. ground — a position
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. game — a match
  10. bound — tied together
  11. ground — the earth
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. ground — crushed
  15. mug — to rob
  16. game — wild animals
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bound — certain
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mug — a face
  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