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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. rock — music
  4. net — for catching
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. net — after costs
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. net — in sport
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. present — the time now
  15. scale — size or range
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bound — tied together
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rock — a stone
  20. present — a gift
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. plane — a tool
  24. present — there

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