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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bat — the animal
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. track — a song
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. bound — certain
  13. track — a path
  14. rule — a law
  15. bound — obliged
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rule — government
  20. ground — a position
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bat — for baseball

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