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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.

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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: bound · safe · lean · game · rock · pitcher · kid · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. lean — to bend
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. firm — steady
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bound — certain
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. kid — child
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lean — thin
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. firm — a company
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. lean — to rest against

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