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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cue — for pool
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cue — a hint
  6. root — the cause
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. track — a path
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rule — a law
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. capital — a city
  14. track — a song
  15. root — of a word
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. track — to keep track
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bound — tied together

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