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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. field — farmland
  4. bound — tied together
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bound — obliged
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. deal — to handle
  16. sharp — clever
  17. saw — the tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pass — a permit
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. saw — the tool

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