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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.

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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: bowl · fall · present · firm · pitcher · ground · bound · calf

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bound — certain
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. firm — decided
  9. ground — the earth
  10. present — the time now
  11. bound — tied together
  12. ground — a position
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. present — there
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. present — a gift
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. firm — steady
  23. ground — crushed
  24. firm — a company

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