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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. hand — in cards
  11. drill — army training
  12. wound — an injury
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bound — tied together
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. scale — size or range
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bound — obliged
  22. scale — in music
  23. hand — help
  24. racket — a loud noise

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