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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: bear · bound · bat · bay · racket · safe

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bound — certain
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bear — the animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bat — the animal

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