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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. object — a thing
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rule — a law
  8. field — farmland
  9. object — to protest
  10. hand — help
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rule — government
  14. field — a subject
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. object — an aim
  21. bound — obliged
  22. field — for sport
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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