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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: nail · bound · foot · prune · stand · stick · bat · game

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bat — the animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bound — obliged
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. game — a match
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. prune — to trim

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