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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 · stand · game · land · board · prune · kid · bound

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bound — certain
  4. prune — to trim
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. land — ground
  9. kid — to tease
  10. land — a country
  11. board — to get on
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bound — tied together
  15. game — wild animals
  16. stand — to bear
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. game — a match
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. board — a committee

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