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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bear — the animal
  5. court — for sport
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — in biology
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. game — a match
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cell — a phone
  15. game — wild animals
  16. court — of law
  17. mug — a face
  18. court — of a king
  19. mug — to rob
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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