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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bound — obliged
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. fall — the season
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bound — tied together
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — a tin
  12. bound — certain
  13. bulb — for light
  14. track — to keep track
  15. scale — in music
  16. track — a song
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. track — a path
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. fall — to drop
  24. scale — size or range

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