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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: safe · fine · firm · board · hand · racket · rush · bound

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bound — certain
  4. firm — a company
  5. bound — tied together
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bound — obliged
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. firm — decided
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rush — hurry
  12. fine — all right
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. board — to get on
  18. hand — help
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. board — a committee
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fine — high quality

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