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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. can — to be able to
  3. present — there
  4. bound — obliged
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bore — to tire
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bore — to drill
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. sharp — clever
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bound — certain
  21. suit — to fit
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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