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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bound — certain
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. land — to come down
  8. kid — child
  9. scale — size or range
  10. key — for a lock
  11. scale — in music
  12. mug — a face
  13. kid — to tease
  14. last — finally
  15. bound — tied together
  16. last — to go on
  17. key — in music
  18. land — ground
  19. mate — to breed
  20. key — the most important part
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. last — final
  23. land — a country
  24. mug — to rob

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