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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. suit — to fit
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. game — a match
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. suit — clothes
  9. land — ground
  10. band — a ring
  11. bound — obliged
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bound — certain
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. land — to come down
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. band — a music group
  20. bound — tied together
  21. land — a country
  22. suit — in cards
  23. game — wild animals
  24. season — of the year

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