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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fine — high quality
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. root — the cause
  7. present — a gift
  8. fine — all right
  9. court — of a king
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. court — for sport
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. root — of a word
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. court — of law
  24. present — the time now

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