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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: land · can · bound · ball · bay · squash · fall · season

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fall — the season
  4. can — a tin
  5. season — of the year
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bound — certain
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. land — a country
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. ball — a great time
  19. can — to be able to
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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