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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. tube — the underground
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. tube — a container
  10. can — a tin
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bound — certain
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. can — a tin
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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