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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. saw — the tool
  5. track — a path
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mark — a trace
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bound — tied together
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. craft — a skill
  19. game — a match
  20. band — a ring
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. band — a music group
  23. craft — boats
  24. bound — certain

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