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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: march · bowl · leaves · stem · mug · game · can · bound

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bound — tied together
  6. can — a tin
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bound — certain
  12. stem — to come from
  13. can — a tin
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mug — a face
  19. game — wild animals
  20. march — the month
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. mug — a cup
  23. game — a match
  24. leaves — to go away

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