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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. last — finally
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bound — obliged
  8. degree — from a university
  9. last — final
  10. last — to go on
  11. degree — an amount
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bound — certain
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mate — a partner
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. capital — a city
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mate — a friend
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — money
  24. chair — a leader

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