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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cap — a lid
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bound — obliged
  8. can — a tin
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rule — a law
  11. cap — a hat
  12. can — a tin
  13. field — farmland
  14. can — to be able to
  15. field — a subject
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mate — to breed
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rule — government
  22. bound — tied together
  23. field — for sport
  24. cap — of ice

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