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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mark — a trace
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wound — an injury
  7. row — a line
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. craft — boats
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. row — to paddle
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. kick — in football
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bound — certain
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bound — obliged
  24. craft — a handicraft

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