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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: bound · saw · racket · pitch · bank · face · cabinet · tube

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bank — for money
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bound — tied together
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitch — completely
  7. tube — a container
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bound — certain
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. face — to point toward
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. bound — obliged
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. face — to confront

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