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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 120 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. snap — to click
  3. track — a song
  4. ground — a position
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. track — a path
  7. mug — a face
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. club — for golf
  13. bound — certain
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ground — the earth
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bound — tied together
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. craft — a skill
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. club — a group
  23. craft — boats
  24. march — the month

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