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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fork — in a road
  8. wind — moving air
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bound — certain
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. key — in music
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. board — a committee

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