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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: cap · ground · object · bound · pitcher · fork · tube · mine

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. object — to protest
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. object — a thing
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bound — tied together
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. ground — the earth
  17. object — an aim
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. tube — a container
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. tube — the underground
  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