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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. band — a music group
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pit — in a race
  5. band — a ring
  6. object — to protest
  7. bound — tied together
  8. track — a song
  9. chip — to eat
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pit — a hole
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. chip — for betting
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bound — certain
  20. saw — the tool
  21. object — a thing
  22. track — a path
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. object — an aim

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