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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bound — certain
  3. club — for dancing
  4. spell — magic
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spell — letters
  7. bound — tied together
  8. last — to go on
  9. degree — from a university
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. club — a group
  12. degree — an amount
  13. spell — a short time
  14. can — a tin
  15. club — for golf
  16. last — final
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. board — a committee
  19. last — finally
  20. board — to get on
  21. can — a tin
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. degree — temperature

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