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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bass — low music
  4. cap — a hat
  5. drill — the tool
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — for sport
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. firm — a company
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. drill — a practice
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. firm — decided
  17. bound — tied together
  18. court — of law
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bound — certain
  21. drill — army training
  22. bass — the fish
  23. firm — steady
  24. hide — animal skin

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