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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pop — to visit
  3. object — a thing
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. object — an aim
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. game — a match
  11. bound — certain
  12. object — to protest
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bore — to drill
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pop — soda
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pop — music
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bank — for money
  24. game — wild animals

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