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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. can — a tin
  4. land — a country
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. land — ground
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rock — a stone
  9. ball — a great time
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bound — obliged
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rock — music
  15. can — a tin
  16. club — for golf
  17. bound — tied together
  18. club — for dancing
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. kick — in football
  22. land — to come down
  23. club — a group
  24. can — to be able to

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