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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: deal · net · ground · bound · present · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. net — for catching
  3. bound — certain
  4. deal — to handle
  5. present — the time now
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. net — in sport
  11. ground — a position
  12. present — there
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. present — a gift
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ground — the earth
  17. net — after costs
  18. deal — a big deal

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