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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: bat · trunk · bound · racket · deal · current · fine · bowl

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bound — certain
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. current — happening now
  5. fine — all right
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bat — the animal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. current — electric
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. fine — high quality
  19. deal — to handle
  20. current — of water
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bowl — a dish

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