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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. date — the fruit
  6. swing — in golf
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. scale — size or range
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rule — a law
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. swing — music
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rule — government
  17. spell — letters
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. scale — in music
  22. spell — magic
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. spell — a short time

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