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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bound — obliged
  4. saw — the tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bat — the animal
  8. land — ground
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. land — a country
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. land — to come down
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. bound — tied together
  20. current — electric
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. firm — a company

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