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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. present — there
  3. bound — tied together
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bound — certain
  9. present — a gift
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. march — the month
  14. capital — money
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. present — the time now
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — a city
  21. rule — government
  22. face — to confront
  23. rule — a law
  24. arm — a part of something

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