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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: pitcher · drill · wake · bound · chest · ball · racket · press

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bound — tied together
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bound — obliged
  11. drill — a practice
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. drill — army training
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. press — a publisher
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wake — a trail
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. chest — of your body
  24. press — to push

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