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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: racket · mate · swing · bark · game · bound · pit · land

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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. land — a country
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. land — ground
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. land — to come down
  12. mate — to breed
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pit — in a race
  16. swing — to play on
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. swing — in golf
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. swing — music
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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