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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. court — of law
  4. cue — for pool
  5. march — music
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. march — the month
  9. bound — certain
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. march — the month
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cue — a hint
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. shower — to wash
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. shower — rain
  22. court — for sport
  23. cue — a signal
  24. court — of a king

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