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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. field — for sport
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bound — tied together
  6. craft — boats
  7. ball — a dance
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. craft — a skill
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bound — certain
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. ball — a great time
  19. field — a subject
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. field — farmland
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cabinet — ministers

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