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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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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: saw · season · net · bear · can · bound

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. net — after costs
  3. season — in sport
  4. bound — tied together
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. net — for catching
  9. bear — the animal
  10. net — in sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to

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