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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. net — in sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bound — certain
  7. net — after costs
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. scale — in music
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. toast — bread
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bear — the animal
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. net — for catching
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. scale — size or range
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. sharp — clever
  24. toast — the most admired

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