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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bound — certain
  3. pop — soda
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. capital — money
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pop — music
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bound — tied together
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — a city
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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