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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. net — for catching
  8. last — to go on
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pass — a permit
  12. last — finally
  13. net — after costs
  14. cue — a signal
  15. net — in sport
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mug — a cup
  19. game — a match
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chest — a box
  23. last — final
  24. bound — certain

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