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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. craft — a skill
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. fork — in a road
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bound — certain
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. craft — boats
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bound — tied together

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