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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. present — a gift
  3. board — a committee
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bound — tied together
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. object — to protest
  10. clip — a video
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. object — a thing
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. present — the time now
  15. clip — to cut
  16. fork — in a road
  17. present — there
  18. clip — for paper
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bound — obliged
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. object — an aim
  24. bear — the animal

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