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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bound — obliged
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bound — certain
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. drill — army training
  8. mate — a partner
  9. lean — thin
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. drill — the tool
  13. club — a group
  14. drill — a practice
  15. game — a match
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bound — tied together
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. club — for golf
  24. ruler — for measuring

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