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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · saw · racket · land · suit · sharp · bay · bound

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bound — certain
  6. land — ground
  7. saw — the tool
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. suit — to fit
  10. land — to come down
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. game — wild animals
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. land — a country
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. suit — in cards
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bound — tied together

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