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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. ground — the earth
  3. land — to come down
  4. ground — crushed
  5. land — ground
  6. ground — a position
  7. bound — tied together
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. craft — a skill
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — a cake
  13. land — a country
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bound — certain
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. craft — boats
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. pound — a weight
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. chair — to sit on

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