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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. field — for sport
  6. object — to protest
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. face — part of the head
  9. object — an aim
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. field — farmland
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. swing — to play on
  14. face — to point toward
  15. object — a thing
  16. field — a subject
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. face — to confront
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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