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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 116 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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bound — certain
  5. court — of a king
  6. game — wild animals
  7. track — a song
  8. bound — tied together
  9. degree — from a university
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bank — for money
  13. track — a path
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bank — for money
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bank — of a river
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. game — a match

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