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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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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: game · cap · net · rule · bound · firm · pit · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rule — a law
  4. game — a match
  5. net — for catching
  6. bound — obliged
  7. net — after costs
  8. firm — a company
  9. bound — tied together
  10. net — in sport
  11. firm — decided
  12. cap — a hat
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rule — government
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cap — of ice
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. firm — steady
  23. bound — certain
  24. game — wild animals

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