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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. game — a match
  3. bound — tied together
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. game — wild animals
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bound — certain
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fine — high quality
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fine — all right
  17. deal — an agreement
  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