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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cue — for pool
  3. craft — a skill
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mug — to rob
  6. court — of law
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mug — a face
  9. bark — to shout
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bound — certain
  15. craft — boats
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. court — for sport
  18. bound — tied together
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. lean — thin
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. court — of a king
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mug — a cup

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