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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mark — a grade
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pop — music
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pop — soda
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pop — to visit
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. game — wild animals
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. tube — a container
  24. bound — certain

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