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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: suit · ground · land · straw · pitcher · bay · stick · bound

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ground — a position
  5. bound — certain
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. land — a country
  10. suit — in cards
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bound — obliged
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. ground — the earth
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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