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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bound — obliged
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. court — for sport
  8. bound — certain
  9. cell — in biology
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bound — tied together
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. toast — bread
  16. court — of law
  17. pass — a permit
  18. court — of a king

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