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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. row — to paddle
  5. spell — magic
  6. can — to be able to
  7. deal — to handle
  8. current — happening now
  9. spell — letters
  10. land — ground
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. current — electric
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. current — of water
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stand — to bear
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. bound — obliged
  22. row — a line
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bound — tied together

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