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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. chest — of your body
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bound — tied together
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pop — soda
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pop — music
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. chest — a box
  18. court — for sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lean — to bend
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lean — thin
  24. pop — to visit

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