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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. present — the time now
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. court — of law
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. march — music
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bound — tied together
  10. ball — a dance
  11. present — there
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pass — a permit
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. court — of a king
  17. march — the month
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. ball — a great time
  20. court — for sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. march — the month
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — a gift

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