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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. rock — music
  3. mate — a friend
  4. land — ground
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bound — tied together
  11. net — in sport
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bore — to tire
  14. net — for catching
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. land — to come down
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rock — a stone
  20. land — a country
  21. net — after costs
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bore — to drill
  24. club — for golf

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