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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: file · bark · leaves · swing · game · suit · racket · bound

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bound — tied together
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bound — obliged
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. suit — clothes
  9. swing — music
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bound — certain
  12. suit — to fit
  13. file — a line of people
  14. swing — to play on
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. game — a match
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. file — a document
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. suit — in cards
  23. game — wild animals
  24. file — a tool

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