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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fine — all right
  3. swing — in golf
  4. lie — to recline
  5. present — the time now
  6. swing — music
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. last — finally
  9. bound — certain
  10. fine — high quality
  11. root — of a plant
  12. swing — to play on
  13. root — of a word
  14. last — final
  15. root — the cause
  16. present — a gift
  17. court — of law
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. present — there
  20. last — to go on
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bound — tied together

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