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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bound — obliged
  3. staff — employees
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. band — a ring
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bound — certain
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. band — a music group
  11. mine — for digging
  12. fine — all right
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. staff — employees
  15. suit — clothes
  16. court — of law
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. suit — in cards
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. fine — high quality
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. dip — to sink

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