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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. game — a match
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. net — for catching
  11. charge — in control
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rush — hurry
  15. game — wild animals
  16. net — after costs
  17. bound — tied together
  18. charge — a price
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. charge — electricity
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bound — certain

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