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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 · bay · shower · racket · staff · mouse · safe · bat

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. shower — rain
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bound — obliged
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bat — the animal
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. staff — employees
  16. bound — certain
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. staff — employees
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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