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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. key — in music
  3. land — ground
  4. bound — obliged
  5. can — a tin
  6. land — to come down
  7. can — a tin
  8. band — a music group
  9. track — a song
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. tear — to rip
  12. track — a path
  13. bound — certain
  14. band — a ring
  15. land — a country
  16. key — for a lock
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bound — tied together
  20. key — the most important part
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. chair — a leader
  23. can — to be able to
  24. track — to keep track

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