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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: bound · bay · file · racket · deal · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bound — certain
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. file — a tool
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bound — obliged
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. file — a document
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. file — a line of people
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bound — tied together
  18. deal — to handle

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