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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: mug · bound · track · hand · racket · hide · pitcher · lie

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. track — a path
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bound — certain
  6. mug — to rob
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mug — a cup
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lie — to recline
  13. track — a song
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. bound — tied together
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bound — obliged
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mug — a face
  24. racket — a loud noise

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