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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. sharp — clever
  3. saw — the tool
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rule — government
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bound — certain
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. date — the fruit
  12. saw — the tool
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rule — a law
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bulb — of a plant

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