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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cap — a hat
  9. tube — a container
  10. pop — soda
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. game — a match
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bound — tied together
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pop — music
  23. tube — the underground
  24. safe — out of danger

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