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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pop — music
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. tube — the underground
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mark — a grade
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. tube — a container
  14. bound — certain
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pop — soda
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mine — for digging

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