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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 116 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: safe · bound · stand · clip · dip · game · pitcher · racket

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. game — wild animals
  7. dip — to sink
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. clip — to cut
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. stand — to bear
  16. clip — a video
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bound — certain
  21. game — a match
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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