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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cell — in biology
  3. club — for dancing
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. land — to come down
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bulb — for light
  8. club — a group
  9. bound — certain
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. land — ground
  12. bulb — for light
  13. land — a country
  14. club — for golf
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cell — a phone
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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