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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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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: wave · pit · racket · ruler · bound · stem

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pit — in a race
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stem — to come from
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bound — certain
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bound — tied together

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