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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 116 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cue — for pool
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. track — a song
  6. cue — a hint
  7. object — a thing
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. ground — crushed
  10. object — to protest
  11. track — a path
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hand — help
  14. bound — certain
  15. object — an aim
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. hand — in cards
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bound — tied together
  22. ground — a position
  23. cue — a signal
  24. can — a tin

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