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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 120 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: bay · lean · game · net · track · bound · dip · mouse

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. net — after costs
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lean — thin
  8. net — for catching
  9. lean — to bend
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. track — a song
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. game — a match
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bound — certain
  24. net — in sport

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