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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. game — a match
  5. ball — a dance
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. present — the time now
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rule — government
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bound — tied together
  12. season — of the year
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rule — a law
  18. content — the amount
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. content — happy
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bound — certain
  24. ball — a great time

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