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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — a weight
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bound — tied together
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. season — of the year
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pound — for dogs

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