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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rush — hurry
  16. can — a tin
  17. wax — to grow
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. can — a tin
  24. fork — in a road

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