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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. ground — a position
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bound — certain
  7. season — of the year
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pound — a weight
  16. season — in sport
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mine — for digging
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. ground — crushed
  24. mine — an explosive

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