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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 116 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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cap — a lid
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. land — ground
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bound — certain
  10. pop — to visit
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. deal — to handle
  14. land — a country
  15. pop — music
  16. track — a path
  17. cap — a hat
  18. land — to come down
  19. track — a song
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. face — to confront
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pop — soda

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