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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: ground · firm · game · prune · pound · bound · charge · bank

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. game — a match
  3. bound — tied together
  4. ground — a position
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bank — for money
  11. firm — a company
  12. bound — certain
  13. firm — decided
  14. bank — for money
  15. ground — crushed
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bank — of a river
  21. charge — a price
  22. bound — obliged
  23. game — wild animals
  24. prune — the fruit

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