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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bound — obliged
  7. object — a thing
  8. pop — music
  9. object — an aim
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pop — soda
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. object — to protest
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pop — to visit
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mark — a grade
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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