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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: bound · pitcher · mouse · racket · vault · kick · board · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. board — to get on
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bound — certain
  19. board — a committee
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bound — obliged
  23. kick — in football
  24. mouse — 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