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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: pitcher · bound · object · spell · band · season · racket · sharp

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. spell — magic
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. object — a thing
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. object — to protest
  10. season — of the year
  11. sharp — clever
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spell — letters
  16. object — an aim
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bound — obliged
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. season — in sport
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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