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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bound — tied together
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. board — a committee
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bound — certain
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. bound — obliged
  19. field — farmland
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lean — thin
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. ball — a round shape

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