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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: racket · wound · cold · fine · kid · bound · craft · charge

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. charge — in control
  4. fine — all right
  5. bound — obliged
  6. kid — to tease
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bound — certain
  11. kid — child
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wound — an injury
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fine — high quality
  19. craft — boats
  20. bound — tied together
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cold — an illness
  24. charge — a price

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