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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 116 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: stick · mine · rest · pop · firm · ball · bound · saw

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pop — soda
  3. mine — for digging
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rest — a break
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bound — certain
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bound — tied together
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. firm — a company
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. ball — a great time
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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