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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bound — obliged
  4. present — a gift
  5. tube — a container
  6. present — there
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. present — the time now
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rash — a series
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bound — certain
  24. date — the fruit

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