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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bound — obliged
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — a video
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. game — wild animals
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bound — certain
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. game — a match
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stand — for spectators

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