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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. present — a gift
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fork — in a road
  9. present — the time now
  10. bark — to shout
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. present — there
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bound — certain
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bark — of a tree

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