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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: land · can · racket · pitcher · tube · fork · bound · bear

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. land — a country
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. land — to come down
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. tube — a container
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. land — ground
  15. can — a tin
  16. bound — certain
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bound — obliged
  20. can — a tin
  21. bound — tied together
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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