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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. field — for sport
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cap — a hat
  6. current — happening now
  7. bear — the animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bound — certain
  10. cap — of ice
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. current — of water
  14. cap — a lid
  15. field — a subject
  16. bear — the animal
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. current — electric
  19. vault — a safe
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. field — farmland
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bear — to put up with

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