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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bound — obliged
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. deal — to handle
  8. court — of a king
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chest — a box
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. capital — money
  14. court — for sport
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bound — certain
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bound — tied together
  21. capital — a city
  22. court — of law
  23. chest — of your body
  24. season — of the year

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