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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fall — the season
  3. rule — a law
  4. band — a music group
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. root — the cause
  8. fall — to drop
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. rule — government
  11. fall — to drop
  12. band — a ring
  13. root — of a word
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bound — tied together
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. club — a group
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bound — obliged
  24. root — of a plant

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