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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
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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 · racket · march · foot · pit · bound · prune · hand

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bound — certain
  3. pit — in a race
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bound — obliged
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bound — tied together
  10. hand — in cards
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. foot — a measure
  16. march — music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pit — a hole

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