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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bound — obliged
  4. suit — clothes
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bound — tied together
  7. ball — a dance
  8. land — to come down
  9. prune — to trim
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. march — the month
  12. land — a country
  13. bore — to drill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. suit — in cards
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. march — the month
  19. snap — to click
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. march — music
  22. land — ground
  23. bound — certain
  24. suit — to fit

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