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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: ground · bound · racket · rest · fine · bat

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bound — obliged
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bound — tied together
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bat — the animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bound — certain
  12. rest — a break
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ground — a position
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty

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