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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · charge · bound · spring · arm · deal · rest · season

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rest — a break
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bound — obliged
  10. deal — to handle
  11. season — of the year
  12. spring — the season
  13. rest — what's left
  14. season — in sport
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bound — tied together
  17. charge — a price
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. spring — a coil
  21. charge — in control
  22. spring — of water
  23. racket — for tennis
  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