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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · bound · nail · pit · ball · tear · current · spring

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bound — certain
  5. tear — from crying
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spring — the season
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spring — of water
  10. current — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pit — in a race
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bound — tied together
  19. current — happening now
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. current — electric
  23. tear — from crying
  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