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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 120 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: mate · racket · season · trunk · pitcher · bound · straw · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mate — to breed
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. season — in sport
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mate — a friend
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bound — certain
  18. season — of the year
  19. foot — a measure
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. trunk — of a tree

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