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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. march — music
  4. net — for catching
  5. track — a path
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spell — magic
  9. net — after costs
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bear — the animal
  13. suit — in cards
  14. spell — letters
  15. net — in sport
  16. suit — to fit
  17. march — the month
  18. suit — clothes
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. bound — tied together
  22. march — the month
  23. toast — bread
  24. bear — to put up with

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