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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. net — in sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. net — after costs
  9. kid — to tease
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cue — a signal
  13. current — of water
  14. net — for catching
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bound — obliged
  18. current — electric
  19. spell — a short time
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. current — happening now
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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