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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 116 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: ball · pit · ground · fan · bound · game · racket · sharp

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ball — a great time
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pit — a hole
  8. game — a match
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bound — certain
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pit — in a race
  16. ball — a dance
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. sharp — clever
  21. game — wild animals
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ground — the earth
  24. game — a kind of play

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