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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. ball — a great time
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bark — to shout
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bound — tied together
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. field — a subject
  20. bore — to drill
  21. field — farmland
  22. chair — a leader
  23. field — for sport
  24. bark — of a tree

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