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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: wound · suit · bound · racket · prune · net · game · firm

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bound — certain
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bound — tied together
  7. suit — to fit
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wound — an injury
  10. game — wild animals
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. firm — steady
  15. suit — in cards
  16. game — a match
  17. prune — to trim
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — decided
  20. suit — clothes
  21. net — for catching
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bound — obliged
  24. racket — for tennis

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