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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 120 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 · racket · rock · spell · pound · net

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. net — for catching
  3. spell — magic
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. net — after costs
  7. bound — tied together
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. spell — letters
  10. bound — obliged
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bound — certain
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. net — in sport
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music

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