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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.

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: board · pound · bound · ball · lean · drill · wind · pitch

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wind — moving air
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. board — to get on
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. ball — a great time
  12. drill — army training
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. board — a committee
  16. bound — obliged
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bound — certain
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. lean — thin

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