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

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cue — a hint
  4. field — a subject
  5. roll — a list
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. field — farmland
  10. cue — a signal
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. shower — to wash
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. shower — rain
  15. roll — a cake
  16. field — for sport
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bound — obliged

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