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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: deal · hide · trunk · stock · racket · safe · bat · bound

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bound — tied together
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stock — shares
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bound — obliged
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bound — certain
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bat — the animal

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