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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bound — tied together
  4. root — of a word
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. root — the cause
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. press — a publisher
  12. court — of law
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. root — of a plant
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pound — a weight
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. press — to push
  22. sharp — clever
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pound — to hit hard

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