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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: ground · tube · scale · ball · lie · row · stick · bound

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. row — a line
  9. ball — a great time
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. bound — obliged
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. scale — in music
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. ground — a position
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lie — to recline
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bound — certain
  22. row — to paddle
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bound — tied together

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