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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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 — obliged
  2. court — for sport
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. foot — a measure
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stand — to bear
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. court — of a king
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. snap — to click
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. court — of law
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bound — certain
  22. sharp — clever
  23. foot — the bottom
  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