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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. present — there
  3. cap — a hat
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bound — tied together
  11. land — a country
  12. fine — all right
  13. cap — of ice
  14. land — ground
  15. chair — a leader
  16. present — the time now
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. land — to come down
  19. cap — a lid
  20. vault — a safe
  21. present — a gift
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fine — high quality

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