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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bound — tied together
  5. present — there
  6. bound — certain
  7. court — of law
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spring — of water
  15. court — of a king
  16. cell — in biology
  17. court — for sport
  18. mark — a grade
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. spring — the season

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