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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.

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 · bay · mark · land · perch · staff · content · bound

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bound — tied together
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bound — certain
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. staff — employees
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bound — obliged
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. land — a country
  17. mark — a grade
  18. content — the amount
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. staff — employees
  22. content — happy
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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