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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. staff — employees
  4. firm — decided
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bound — certain
  7. mate — a partner
  8. firm — steady
  9. deal — to handle
  10. net — in sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. net — after costs
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. net — for catching
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bound — tied together
  22. firm — a company
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — for baseball

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