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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bound — certain
  5. prune — to trim
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. court — of law
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bound — tied together
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pass — a permit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. can — to be able to
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. mate — to breed
  23. sharp — clever
  24. prune — the fruit

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