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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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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: bowl · racket · ground · bound · bear · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bound — certain
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bound — tied together
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth

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