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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 · suit · row · tear · racket · content · board · date

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. row — to paddle
  3. suit — clothes
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. row — a line
  6. suit — to fit
  7. tear — to rip
  8. content — happy
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bound — obliged
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bound — certain
  14. board — a committee
  15. tear — from crying
  16. content — the amount
  17. tear — from crying
  18. date — the fruit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. date — on the calendar

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