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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bear — the animal
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. can — a tin
  7. degree — from a university
  8. can — a tin
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bear — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mate — a friend
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. degree — an amount
  17. band — a ring
  18. degree — temperature
  19. band — a music group
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. coach — a trainer

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