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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. game — wild animals
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bound — obliged
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. tube — the underground
  9. band — a music group
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rock — a stone
  12. last — to go on
  13. tube — a container
  14. suit — clothes
  15. last — finally
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bound — tied together
  20. band — a ring
  21. last — final
  22. rock — music
  23. game — a match
  24. suit — in cards

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