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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. game — a match
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. band — a ring
  11. rash — hasty
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stand — to bear
  14. plane — a tool
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. band — a music group
  20. bound — certain
  21. rash — a series
  22. game — wild animals
  23. dip — to sink
  24. stand — for spectators

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