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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. net — in sport
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. toast — bread
  8. vault — a safe
  9. mate — a friend
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rule — a law
  13. fine — high quality
  14. roll — a cake
  15. net — for catching
  16. fine — all right
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. bound — tied together
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. roll — a list
  23. net — after costs
  24. roll — on a roll

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