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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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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wound — an injury
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bass — the fish
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. board — to get on
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pass — a permit
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bass — low music
  17. board — a committee
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. racket — a loud noise

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