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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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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: foot · present · tear · racket · bound · cell

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bound — tied together
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. present — there
  9. tear — to rip
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. cell — a phone
  18. racket — for tennis

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