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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. 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 — a position
  2. spell — a short time
  3. net — for catching
  4. spell — magic
  5. bound — certain
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bound — obliged
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. ground — crushed
  16. spell — letters
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. 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