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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: racket · mug · craft · bat · cabinet · leaves · bound · charge

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bound — obliged
  3. charge — a price
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bound — certain
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mug — a face
  14. charge — in control
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. charge — electricity
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bat — for baseball

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