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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pit — a hole
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pit — in a race
  5. hand — in cards
  6. track — a song
  7. game — a match
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. game — wild animals
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bound — obliged
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. track — a path
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bound — certain
  23. hand — help
  24. bear — the animal

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