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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: key · court · spring · net · bound · racket · pitch · bay

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bound — certain
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. spring — of water
  10. net — in sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. pitch — completely
  13. court — for sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. court — of law
  16. key — for a lock
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. key — the most important part
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. key — in music
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. spring — the season

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