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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · stick · file · cell · wind · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cell — in biology
  4. file — a tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wind — moving air
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bound — certain
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bound — obliged
  11. file — a document
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cell — a phone

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