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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. file — a document
  4. can — a tin
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bat — the animal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. tube — a container
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bound — certain
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. file — a tool
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. craft — boats
  24. coach — a trainer

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