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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spring — a coil
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. spring — the season
  17. bass — low music
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bound — obliged
  22. spring — of water
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bass — the fish

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