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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bound — certain
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. present — there
  5. can — to be able to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. toast — bread
  10. present — a gift
  11. pop — soda
  12. bound — tied together
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. object — to protest
  16. can — a tin
  17. pop — music
  18. object — a thing
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bound — obliged
  21. present — the time now
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. object — an aim

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