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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bound — obliged
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bound — tied together
  6. row — a line
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bound — certain
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. game — a match
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. row — to paddle

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