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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. season — of the year
  3. mark — a grade
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bound — obliged
  6. season — in sport
  7. land — to come down
  8. march — music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. march — the month
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mark — a trace
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. march — the month
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. chair — a leader
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. face — to confront
  24. chair — a professorship

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