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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.

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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. fine — all right
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bound — certain
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. fork — to eat with

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