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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: bound · snap · firm · ground · club · lean · hand · ball

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ball — a dance
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ground — a position
  13. firm — decided
  14. club — for golf
  15. hand — help
  16. ground — the earth
  17. snap — to click
  18. firm — steady
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bound — obliged
  21. firm — a company
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. club — a group
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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