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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: bound · deal · prune · drill · racket · craft · tube · saw

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. prune — to trim
  12. drill — the tool
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bound — certain
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. craft — boats
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. drill — a practice
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. deal — to handle
  24. prune — the fruit

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