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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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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: track · present · lean · bat · prune · bound · net · suit

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bound — tied together
  4. lean — to bend
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. suit — to fit
  7. track — a path
  8. bat — the animal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. present — the time now
  11. net — in sport
  12. track — to keep track
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. track — a song
  16. prune — to trim
  17. net — after costs
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. lean — thin
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. suit — clothes
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bound — certain
  24. net — for catching

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