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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: bark · bound · rush · club · racket · bat · leaves · chip

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. chip — for betting
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. club — for dancing
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bound — certain

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