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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: nail · bound · squash · racket · season · bat · dip · leaves

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. season — of the year
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bound — certain
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. dip — to sink
  20. season — in sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. dip — to dunk

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