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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bound — obliged
  3. saw — the tool
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pop — soda
  6. drill — the tool
  7. last — finally
  8. bound — tied together
  9. last — to go on
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bound — certain
  16. last — final
  17. pop — music
  18. date — the fruit
  19. drill — army training
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pit — in a race

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