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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. rest — a break
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pop — soda
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. craft — boats
  10. pit — in a race
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. squash — to crush
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pop — to visit
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pit — a hole
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rest — what's left
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. rest — what's left
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pop — music
  24. pound — to hit hard

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